A Friend Indeed In Need
by jobrodemisemiselena
Summary: This is my slightly romantic view of what could happened back in 2011 when Demi checked herself into treatment.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

November 3rd

Miley forgot about her food on the table momentarily to focus all her attention on her friend across from her with the totally lost look spread across her face. "I think you should do it. What you need right now is to get away. The paparazzi, Joe, Selena, and Ashley and especially the tour may be too much to take. I love you, but all of these factors aren't making you the Demi that I love so much."

"I know." She had the saddest expression on her face, Miley wished she could fight all her demons for her but knew she had to do this on her own, even though it was breaking her. She was going to be there to catch her, though.

She held her hand across the top of the table giving her a comforting smile, letting Demi know in actions rather than words that she would be there, considering they had big ears all around them, big nosy ears.

"Thank you, Miles." Demi brushed her hand warily through her new golden locks, making them fall away from her face. "All this drama with me and I haven't even asked how you're doing with the divorce."

"I'm just... staying busy. It helps if I don't have to think about it."

"And the breakup?"

"The same. He was seen with a model last week." She shook her head as if it didn't matter. "Life goes on. We just have to stay away from the people who bring us down."

"Just don't make the mistake that I did." Demi said. "I lost everyone. Even Joe's parents are mad at me."

Miley wanted to tell her that some people didn't matter but she didn't want to sound like a hypocrite. She always lived by the saying 'every person matters'. "Not me. You'll always have me." Miley said instead. "Eat something."

* * *

><p>November 5th<p>

After seeing Demi off and hugging her for about ten minutes, Miley returned to the hotel exhausted. She collapsed on the suite's couch and sighed pushing the button on her remote, turning the television on. There she was again. Center story on ENews. Miley Cyrus once again tangles with paparazzi. Miley punched the button again turning the television off, then threw the remote at the tv. Why couldn't she just exit a restaurant in peace? Was she the most interesting thing tonight? No Kardashians to follow? She groaned when her cell phone rang, not really wanting to talk to anyone but Demi. She reached in her bag and glanced at the caller ID. Nick Jonas. Surprise. She hadn't seen him since September 16th. She and Demi had attended his eighteenth birthday dinner along with Demi's ex, Joe, Joe's current girlfriend, Ashley and Kevin and Danielle. Demi had also brought along Robert Kardashian to make it seem as if she had moved on from Joe. It had been a very intense night but they had to keep up appearances. She hadn't talked to him since then and didn't want to talk to him now. Miley brought her attention back to the call and answered the phone. "What do you want?" She snapped. Appearances definitely no longer needed to be kept.

"I'm worried about Demi. They're saying some pretty bad things about her. That she punched one of her backup dancers. She threatened Ashley. She has bulimia. She.. She's going into rehab?"

"Did you call me about the latest news, to tell me what's going on with my best friend? Because I can assure you. I know exactly whats going on. I've been here everyday, Nick. Everyday." Miley could feel the tears hit the back of her hand that was laying in her. "She feels like she's been left out of some club. I didn't have the nerve to tell her that your group, your so-called friends, are the people in high school _no one_should look up to."

"Miley." There was a long pause on the other end if the line.

She shook her head from side slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose between her index finger and her thumb. "What'd you call for, Nick?"

"We're all worried about her, Miley."

"Well, it's too late for that. When Demi gets back, I'm going to make sure she stays far away from you and your family _and_your friends." Miley hung up the phone and threw it exactly where she had hurled the remote earlier. "Thanks a lot, Nick Jonas."

* * *

><p>November 6th<p>

Selena sat down across from Miley while she was eating breakfast at a lone table at a corner of an open restaurant. "Long time. No see." She joked half-heartedly. Selena and her never really talked at all, being that they were the two on and off girlfriends of the one and only Nick Jonas. They always said that there was never any tension between them to the press but in reality they just never got the hang of being around each other even though they stayed in the same circles of Hollywood. And it's not like Miley hadn't tried. They did have one thing in common. Their love for Nick.

"I hope you're not here for the Jonases. If you are, you can just go tell them I'm not telling them anything." Miley looked back down at her phone where she decided to look like she was busy.

"Nick and I are friends but I'm here for Demi. I know that you and her are closer than we are now." Selena stared down at an imaginary speck on the table.

Miley looked up at her to see why she had paused and saw tears running down Selena's face. "Oh, Selena."

"But-"

Miley stood up. "Let's talk in my car. There's no privacy whatsoever here." Miley's eyes darted across the street where the paparazzi stood flashing their cameras. She didn't wait for Selena to follow her. She just darted for her car. She didn't notice Selena until she was safely inside her car and Selena slid into the passenger seat with tears still on her face. Miley reached for her local box of tissues under her seat and handed them to Selena.

"I hate myself, you know."

"For what?"

"Abandoning her. It was just one fight and it was so stupid. I wanted someone to coddle me and tell me my music was good." She sniffled, then rubbed her nose with the tissue. "She didn't like one of my songs and didn't hesitate to tell me so. I stopped picking up my phone."

Miley stayed silent.

"Another difference between me and you. She's probably never told you she hasn't liked one of your songs."

"Friends for nine years and that's what it comes down to, Selena? Your career?" Miley nodded slowly biting her lip. "I think… some things are more important than that."

"I don't care about it anymore. I swear. I just... It was always Demi. She was always the one I was compared to. And she always came out on top. I wanted to be myself for awhile. I needed some space."

"Away from Demi?"

She nodded.

Miley's silence spoke volumes.

"I know that you're judging me." Selena stared out the car window.

"I don't judge people."

"You judged the Jonases."

Miley let out a bitter laugh. "Do you need judging like they do? Is that what you're here for? You're not them."

"I don't know." Selena finally looked Miley in the eyes. "Do you think they're bad people?"

Miley shrugged. "I just know they're not good for my friend right now. You're not a bad person Selena. Demi always spoke well about you. She always talked about your fight like it was her fault. She said she wasn't supportive of you and she always mentally kicked herself over it. I could see it in her eyes. But you can't tell everything from the eyes." Miley trailed off then looked at Selena. "As we both can attest to, because we both dated Nick Jonas."

Selena laughed but from it, Miley could tell all her sadness remained. "Yes, we can."

Miley had a sudden urge to hug Selena so she did. It seemed like they had one more thing in common. They both cared about Demi. Miley felt one tear slide down her cheek. "She's going to be fine."

* * *

><p>November 7th<p>

Taylor Swift. That was all that was needed to describe her second visitor. Sexy superstar country singer, dumped horribly on the phone by Joe Jonas before going on to talk about him in many more songs and skits. Some people said she overreacted but Miley always thought she acted like any other normal girl would have reacted had she been scorned as Taylor had. She dated Taylor Lautner after Joe, who played a certain gorgeous werewolf on a famous vampire series. Miley had been a fan if it herself. She had dumped Taylor in December of last year right after her twentieth birthday even though most people say she's still in love with him. She says she felt them getting too serious too fast, but Miley knew the real reason. Taylor had been concerned about their age difference. Everyone kept picking it apart like it a scab that needed to be uncovered. So therefore from then they had turned Taylor skeptical over the little over two year difference. She moved on to John Mayer, a fellow singer, who again broke her heart and then to another sexy actor, Jake Gyllenhaal, who she's dating now. Miley and her had been friends for awhile now.

Miley smiled moving in for a hug. "Hey, girl."

"That's the first time I've seen you smile in weeks." Taylor's arm stayed tight around her. "Paparazzi can't even get a grimace out of you."

Miley pulled back then gave Taylor a sad sideways smile. "Bad things happen to the best if us." She said simply.

"I know. I heard about everything. I'm so sorry. I should've gotten here faster."

"I understand. The record needs publicity. You have to do that. And plus, I had Demi. I wasn't alone at all."

"Now you are." Taylor led Miley over to the bed noticing the dark circles underneath her eyes and the cell phone broken on the floor by the television. She nodded to it. "Someone bothering you?"

"I got a call from Nick. He wanted to know about Demi. I don't take calls from that crowd well as you can see. Especially calls from the people who wore her down."

"How are you getting calls?"

"I'm not. I don't need Ryan Seacrest calling me trying to get the scoop."

Taylor nodded. "I think we need to cheer you up. What's something that cheers you up?"

Miley pulled her IPod from her sweater pocket and turned the song she had been listening to earlier.

"Back To December?"

"No. Just your music in general."

"Can you turn that one off, please?" Taylor made it sound like a polite request but Miley saw the pain cross her eyes and knew she meant business. She cut the song off and took Taylor's hand.

"Listen. I know what it's like, Tay, to still love someone when you break up with them. Out of anyone, I know. And I make it a rule to not give any advice on the subject because I'm definitely not an expert on love, but I do want you to know I understand. You could talk to me if you want."

Taylor shook her head. "I'm not even going to get into it. I've been trying to move on and it's working so far." she looked back at Miley. "Hey, you're a great friend. Demi is pretty lucky to have you. Tell her to be strong. From me. I have to split." She smiled. "Jimmy Kimmel is promoting my CD on his show." She hugged Miley and quickly left.

Miley decided to let that awkward situation go and hightail it down to the store to get another cell phone before Demi called or worse, her parents.

* * *

><p>November 8th<p>

Miley was sick to her stomach. And she was tired. She felt like if she went to sleep she wouldn't wake up for days. She slid her new cell phone she bought after Taylor left yesterday. She checked her messages. None. She wondered why Demi hadn't called. Maybe they weren't letting her make any calls. That was okay with Miley as long as they made her better. It was Monday. A new week. A new beginning, she hoped. Except her new beginning began with a stomachache, a headache, and a conscience ache. Her mom had called earlier. She said Mr. Jonas had called her. She had also decided to reiterate why she thought it was important that Miley should think of others' feelings. Only, that's all Miley did. Constantly thought of others. It was better that the Jonases know nothing. For their sake and Demi's. Mileys mom had said that she set up a meeting with the heads of the Jonas family and no matter how much she vehemently vetoed that decision, her mother fervently ignored her request. Her phone rang and she instantly answered startled out of her haze of thoughts. "Hello."

"Miles, hey." The sad voice over the phone line snapped Miley to a sitting position. "I called you like two days ago and your phone was like 'sorry. The phone you have called is unavailable'."

Miley laughed softly at Demi's impression of the mechanical voice. "Hey. Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I broke it along with my remote. I had a difference of opinion with the television."

"Oh, they're talking about me, huh?" Demi sounded as if she was biting her lip.

"Yeah, but we had to expect it, right?"

There was a pause on the line and Miley called out Demi's name into the receiver.

"Can you do something for me, Miley?"

"Always."

Demi smiled. "I'm sort of rethinking telling Joe and the others how I'm doing so… could you? Well, not Joe directly, but... you know."

Miley took a deep breath. "Why?"

"I know you don't care for them but Nick, Kevin, and Danielle were my friends and I don't want them to worry about how I'm doing."

Miley nodded. "And how are you doing?"

"Fine. I'm good. I sort of won't be able to call you for a couple weeks because they're afraid of outsiders being the ones who allow things to get inside my head. They don't really say it but I can tell that's what they're thinking. The only reason I'm able to make this phone call is because I told them you were the one who encouraged me to come here."

"Alright. I love you, Dems."

"I love you, too, Miles. Phone hug."

"Phone hug back. Bye." Miley hung up before she got choked up. She, then thought about telling the Jonases about Demi. She was going to do it, but she was going to do it her way, not theirs. She was going over there.

* * *

><p>A Few Hours Later<p>

"Why? Why? Why?" She had constantly berated herself on the way over here to their house. She sat in the car by the gate waiting for security to buzz her in with clearance from the Jonases. The gate made a clucking sound as it started to squeak forward allowing her to enter. She drove her car through the gate and parked it at the door for a quick getaway. She was greeted by Nick and Big Rob. She gave Nick a simple head nod with her hands in her pocket. She smiled at Big Rob. "Hey, big guy."

"I don't get a hug, young lady?"

"Of course you do." She raced the two feet to him, throwing her arms around Big Rob as he squashed her body in his tight hold, and she felt, for once, in these horrible two weeks as if she weren't hugging someone to comfort them or herself. She turned to Nick as Big Rob released her. "Needed a bodyguard to defend you against me?"

"I don't know. Did you come for a fight?"

"Not today. Demi wanted me to inform you of her condition because although you may not care-"

"I care." Nick interrupted, discontentedly. "How is she?" He asked quietly, leading her in the house with Big Rob following them.

"I'm going to tell everyone at once, so I can just head straight out after."

"You're just going to leave?"

"I didn't come for a friendly visit, Nick." She turned the corner into a great big dining room to find the whole family waiting there. Even Elvis, the family dog. "Hey."

There was a resounding 'heys' all around until Mrs. Denise Jonas said. "You can sit down, Miley."

Kevin pulled a chair out for her next to his wife, Danielle.

If she sat down she'd have to stay but she couldn't refuse. That would make her the rude one. She slid into the seat, reluctantly. "I'm here for Demi."

"We figured as much. How is she?"

Miley's eyes went to Nicks father and then back to Nick. "Um, she's fine. She's doing good. They aren't going to let her talk to anybody in the outside world for a few weeks but she says they're okay."

"Anybody? They're not going to let her talk to anybody?"

Miley had told herself before she came here today that she wasn't going to roll her eyes at Joe Jonas but she couldn't help it when she looked over at him. "They don't change rules for famous people." Especially you, she thought.

"I didn't say that they woul-"

"Joseph!" Mrs. Jonas reprimanded. "Not now."

Joe clamped his mouth shut.

"I'm sorry. Demi asked me to come here. I really have to go now." Miley pushed out her chair and stood up. She turned to the doorway where Nick blocked her way.

"I'll see you out." Nick said before standing back to let her through in front of him.

Miley nodded a goodbye to the rest of the family before disappearing down the hall.

"Hey. Wait up."

Miley glanced behind him as she kept walking. "What? No Big Rob? Finally feel like I pose no threat?"

"When does Demi get out of there?"

Miley shrugged. "When she's better." She finally reached her car but turned and looked at him. Before she could say anything she noticed a flash and knew the paparazzi was there already. "Great. I've been here for five minutes and they've already found me. I can already see the headline. 'Miley visits the Jonases. Whose side is she on? Demi or them?"

"Why does there have to be sides? Why can't we all just love Demi?" Nick stepped forward toward Miley.

Miley shook her head. "Why don't you go write a song about it, Nick?" She stomped to her side of the car, sliding in and slamming the door. She drove off in a temper.

* * *

><p><strong>Why hello. I'm Carrie. This is an old story that I have already posted on Youtubeweebly. I'm posting it here for fanfiction fans. NILEY, of course, so I hope you enjoy. It also has bit of Delena and Tay-Tay.**

**You can follow me on twitter if you want. My username is LOLatlovingyou for now. I think I'll post some more chapters today if you want.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Selena's POV

November 6th

Selena burst onto the set of Wizards of Waverly Place after talking with Miley  
>that morning. She was no longer crying and she had washed her face and<br>everything so that she no longer looked like she had been bawling all morning  
>but obviously not good enough because David Henrie, her brother on the show and<br>very good friend, had stopped her before she could completely walk past all her  
>costars. "Hey. What's up?"<p>

"That's what I was going to ask you."

Selena nodded understandingly. "Thanks for asking but I'm really not ready to  
>talk about what's going on just yet."<p>

"I heard you were with Miley this morning."

Selena looked down. "Where'd you hear that from?"

"I called this morning but your mom told me you were gone and suddenly ENews has  
>a story on you and Miley having breakfast bonding over Demi."<p>

"ENews is crap. Stop watching that show, David." She tried to walk past him but  
>David stopped her.<p>

"I'm worried about you, Selena."

"I had to know, David. That's why I went to Miley. I'm worried about Demi."

"I know." He must've noticed her pained expression because he gave her one of  
>his winning smiles and said, "Hey. Come here." Selena smiled and went into<br>David's arms, hugging him tight.

"I already got one of these today, but I need as many as I can get."

"Um, Lucy's here." David said suddenly, planting his chin on top of her head.

Selena smiled brighter. "Oh, is she?" Selena pulled back from David at the  
>mention of Davids former girlfriend and guest star. "Is she going to guest star<br>again? Where is she?" She glanced around.

"Uh, no. She's not here to guest star. She's... in my dressing room. We're... sort  
>of dating again. She's here to see me." David started fumbling for words.<p>

Selena gave him a secretive smile and playfully poked him on the shoulder.  
>"David, you didn't tell me. That's so nice."<p>

"Selena! David! Jake! To the set! Where's Jennifer?" The director yelled.

"I'll find her."

"No need. No need." Jennifer said running from behind the connecting set walls.  
>"I was just on the Suite Life set talking to Debby."<p>

Selena bought her attention back to David only to catch him looking at her  
>funny. "What?"<p>

He shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought you'd be jealous."

"Of Jennifer? I go and see Debby all the time."

"No. Of me dating Lucy Hale."

Selena little laugh turned into a hysterical one. "Sorry, David, but she's not  
>my type." She patted him on the chest and went to join Jennifer and Jake on set.<p>

"So it's cool? We're cool?"

Selena whirled around to David with a lifted eyebrow. "David, why did you think  
>I'd be jealous?"<p>

David looked up at the eyes on them. "Nevermind. We'll talk about this later."

"Good idea." The director said. "Another good idea is to get up there and act."  
>He pointed to the set of their lair on Wizards of Waverly Place as David and<br>Selena joined the others in their positions. "And action!"

* * *

><p>Selena At Home<p>

"Mom?" She walked through the door of her 3 story home she shared with her mom  
>and step-dad and thought about the house that she used to share with Demi and<br>her family. Four girls and four adults all living in a three bedroom apartment.  
>It had been crowded but Demi and her had had the time of their lives. She could<br>still remember the days they used to go on auditions together. It was never  
>about competition back then.<p>

"Hey, Sel." Her mother came out of the living room and hugged her as was their  
>daily tradition. "How was your day?"<p>

"Weird." Selena said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, to start the day off I talked to Miley for about an hour. Then, I went to  
>the set and David told me he was dating Lucy again and he thought I'd be<br>jealous. That was really weird." Selena looked down at her phone that started to  
>ring in her hand. "Oh, and Nick Jonas is calling. This should be good." Selena<br>answered the phone lethargically. "Hello?"

"Selena. Hey. For a while there, I thought you weren't going to answer."

Selena didn't know what she was thinking when she hung up the phone but there  
>was only one thing running through her mind.<p>

Her mom looked up at Selena, restlessly moving about the kitchen. "Why did he  
>call?"<p>

Selena shrugged.

"Did he hang up?"

"Mom." Selena placed her phone in the middle of the kitchen table as it started  
>to ring again.,"Can I take some time off?"<p>

"From what?"

"From everything."

"Hey." Her mother stopped cleaning endlessly, rounding the table and embracing  
>Selena. "If you ever decide that anything is too much for you, I'll be behind<br>you."

Selena nodded into her mother's chest. Her phone stopped ringing. "I think I'll  
>wait until after Wizards. The shows almost over then I can just relax for a<br>bit."

"Why? What happened?"

"I just realized...that Nick only calls me when Miley doesn't answer..."

"Oh, sweetie." She kissed Selena on the forehead and pulled back looking in her  
>eyes. "Guys can be such jerks. That's why I try to shield you from stuff like<br>that but you're growing up so fast I can't stop your world from spinning out of  
>control."<p>

"Mom." Selena gave her mother a small smile. She also couldn't stop her mind  
>from floating elsewhere back to Demi and David and Nick and especially Miley.<br>"My life has been great and you made that possible. I'm a grown-up now. It's  
>time for me to start worrying about my own problems but a hug from my mother<br>every now and then couldn't hurt." It would be Selena's third hug today.

"Sel." Her mom advanced, embracing Selena. The phone began to ring for a third  
>time. "Are you going to answer that phone now?"<p>

"I'm gonna…" Selena bobbed her head up and down while glancing at the phone  
>with both her eyebrows arched. "Tell him to beat it." She snagged her phone from<br>the table answering it once again. "Stop calling!"

"I've only called once."

"David. What's... up?" Selena said turning red. She walked toward her room with  
>the phone pressed to her ear.<p>

"You ran out after work. We didn't even get a chance to talk."

"Oh. We can talk now."

"It's sort of important. I don't want to do it over the phone."

"Okay. My day is free tomorrow. What about you?"

"Yeah. How about lunch?"

Selena smiled. "Sounds great."

* * *

><p>November 7th<p>

"Hey." Selena greeted David with a hug the next afternoon at lunch.

"Let's get a table." David led Selena to the back where there was absolutely no  
>windows for the paparazzi to put their cameras up to. "So how are you?"<p>

"Well, I guess I've been fine considering. I'm glad that Demi's doing well.  
>Miley and I have been talking a lot lately. I think I might have made a new<br>friend."

"That's great." David smiled.

"So you did have something to talk to me about?"

"I broke up with Lucy."

"Um, David. Shortest relationship ever." Selena joked.

David reached over and laid his hand on top of hers caressing the spot between  
>her index finger and her thumb. "I think it was necessary."<p>

_Damn._ She could say that in her mind. Couldn't she? She wanted to bring her hand  
>back onto her lap and pretend she had felt nothing but he just held it, making<br>it slightly impossible.

"Are you cold?" He asked when she shivered.

Selena shook her head and fanned her other free hand towards her face. "Actually  
>the opposite."<p>

"Want to head out for a walk? Fresh air should help."

"Yeah. I think you're right."

David paid the bill and grasped Selena's hand in his as they exited the  
>restaurant.<p>

Selena then bumped into a girl going the opposite way down the street with a guy  
>making her disconnect with David's hand. "Oh no. I'm so sorry." Selena reached<br>for the girl's hand who had fell to the ground. The hand she grabbed led to a  
>partly blonde bombshell with dark sunglasses which Selena would bet were brand<br>name. "Oh no. Ashley Greene." Joe's girlfriend. Shit. She could already see the paparazzi spreading the rumor that she pushed her down because of Demi. She looked guiltily over at the guy with Ashley. Taylor Lautner. It was kind of annoying  
>sometimes how many of her and Demi's friends were friends with the other camp.<br>The enemy camp as you could call them.

"It's fine," Ashley said as Selena pulled her up. "I'm not hurt." Ashley held  
>out a hand. "Ashley Greene." She laughed. "But apparently you already know that.<br>You're Selena. I guess famous people don't have to worry about introductions.  
>People just know them and...I'm rambling. Sorry."<p>

"It's...okay." Selena pointed to David with one hand while shook Ashley's hand  
>with the other. "That's David. Henrie. It's nice to actually meet you, I think."<p>

David nodded at Taylor. "Hey man." He shook his hand.

"Hey." Taylor grimaced. "Are we interrupting a date?"

"What? No. No. No. We were just talking." Selena made eye contact with David for a moment too long then turned to Taylor, hugging him. "It's really nice to see  
>you again."<p>

"You, too."

"We have to go, Sel." David slightly tugged on her hand.

"Yeah." She pulled back. "I really have to meet someone later, anyway. See ya."  
>She waved at them as she walked after David. "Can I ask you something?"<p>

He nodded silently.

"That was you flirting with me back in the restaurant?"

David was stunned that she asked at first. Not because he didn't flirt well but  
>because he thought she wouldn't acknowledge anything happened. "Yeah."<p>

"You're not still in love with any of your ex-girlfriends are you?"

"No. Why?"

"It's just... you know how Nick never got over Miley? I don't want to have to go  
>through that again." Selena frowned.<p>

"Who are you meeting later?"

"Hopefully Miley. Wherever she is."

* * *

><p>November 8th<p>

Selena sighed at her life. She knew there were people in third world countries doing much worse than her any day. But was she just supposed to ignore her  
>problems because other people had bigger ones? No. The only things going good in her life was Wizards and David. Miley had asked her about the Ashley thing while they were talking yesterday. Let's just say it was more or less, awkward. She was sure that Miley had been a little miffed to see her talking to Joe Jonas's<br>girlfriend and seeing as the paparazzi had captured her smiling politely at the girl, it looked like she was happy where she was. A knock rapped at her door making Selena sit up in bed. "I'm up." She slid her feet to the floor slipping them into her pink bunny house-shoes. Brushing her hand through her slept in hair, Selena stood making her way to the kitchen. She found her mom setting hot bacon on the table along with eggs and sausage.

"Here you go, sweetie," Her mom popped a piece of bacon into her own mouth. "Eat up."

"Mom, I have something to tell you." Selena announced while chewing on a sausage.

Her mom continued to move around the kitchen wiping off counters and the sink. "Go ahead."

"David and I are sort of dating now."

She made a sudden swipe on the counter sending the rag into a corner as she twirled, surprised. "What?"

"I'm just saying because from now on when people ask we can't say 'definitely not, he's like my big brother,' anymore." Her phone rang. "I have to take this. It's Miley. She never calls me. I'm usually the only calling, which makes me feel like nuisance." Selena put the phone up to her ear, answering it. "Hey."

"Hey. I... got a call from Demi."

"What'd she say?" Selena asked excitedly. "How is she?"

"She's doing well. She won't be able to make calls for a few weeks because of her treatment but I think it's a good idea. She wants me to go tell the Jonases how she's doing."

"Do you need me to go with you?"

"Nah. I'm going to do this one alone. Just... if I turn up missing... tell the cops where I was headed last."

Selena laughed. "Miley. You're the last person that's ever going to go missing. The paparazzi would just get it all on tape."

"You're right. Dang it." Miley snapped her fingers together. "I was trying to talk myself out if it."

"It's going to be fine." Selena said comfortingly. "Plus, if you need me at the last minute, just call. I'll rush right over there."

"Thank you, Selena. I know I've been less than nice the last week but you've been a really good support system."

"Miley, you're the nicest person I know besides my mom."

"Well, I don't know about that."

* * *

><p><strong>The next chapter is pretty short. Just be warned.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Nick's POV

November 9th

Miley was ignoring him and Selena was, too. So the sites were right? They are  
>friends? Just in case, Nick tried Miley one more time.<p>

"Hello?"

"Mile?"

Nick could hear her groan over the phone. "I really need to start checking my  
>caller ID. What do you want, Nick?"<p>

"I really need you to listen to me."

"Right." She said slowly. "I'm listening."

"I just thought that you, me, Kevin and Danielle should have dinner sometime and  
>talk."<p>

Miley sighed. "Well, that leaves me outnumbered. Can I bring someone?"

"I guess." He paused. "Are you bringing Liam?"

"Is that any of your business?"

Nick sighed trying to ignore the thoughts running through his head.

"Is that all?" Nick could tell from her voice that she actually wanted it to be.

"Right. So, dinner?"

"Just don't bring Joe and you've got a deal."

* * *

><p><strong>Told you it was short. Review anyway. I think Chapter Four is going to be my last one today.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Selena's POV 2

November 9th

"Are you sure what I'm wearing is fine?"

"It's just three Jonases. It's not like it's Obama or Biden. We're going to talk  
>about Demi and that's it. Like we're friends who can get along for more than a<br>phone conversation. We can be civil to them." Miley twirled from putting her  
>lipstick on in the mirror. "Every Jonas but Joe. We're looking good for our fans<br>but we don't have to overdo it."

"Right. It's not like we weren't all friends before..."

Miley pursed her lips and shrugged. "Things change."

"Miley! You're making me nervous."

Miley suddenly laughed. "I'm sorry. That was a little ominous." She sat down  
>beside Selena. "Thanks for coming with me."<p>

"No problem. I have to admit I was a little curious."

"Me, too. I don't know how this night is going to go." She glanced at the wall  
>clock. "But we better head out before they accuse us of standing them up."<p>

At the Restaurant

"See?" Miley said to Selena as they sat down. "Everything is cool. No  
>nervousness at all."<p>

"That's because they aren't here yet."

"Smile, Selena. We have to look like we want to be here."

Selena pasted the widest fake smile that made Miley laugh out loud.

"Now you look like I'm holding a gun to your side and making you stay here.  
>Lighten up, Selena."<p>

Selena sighed. "Well, you sort of _did_ make me smile."

"How about if I mention David? Will that make you smile?"

As Selena was beginning to smile, she heard her name in a familiar masculine  
>timber. "Selena? What are you doing here?"<p>

Selena froze and twisted around with a mischievous smile on her. "What do you  
>think? I'm here with Miley."<p>

"Selena!" Danielle squealed her name running in to hug her. "It's so great to  
>see you again."<p>

"Where is the love?" Miley mumbled.

Kevin winced hearing his wife's scream but he stepped around her to Miley. "Hey,  
>Miles."<p>

Miley smiled and hugged him.

Selena noticed Nick standing to the side out of the commotion. Not wanting him  
>to feel left out, she suggested, "Let's sit down." Selena sat down next to<br>Danielle who sat down beside Kevin who sat by Nick which left Miley to sit by  
>him. The small circle table left them very close together.<p>

Miley groaned.

Nick pretended to ignore her. "So, Selena, you never called me back-"

"Here we go." Selena said dramatically and turned to Nick with an insincere smile. "Nick, I'm sorry.  
>Was it important?"<p>

Nick glanced at Miley then returned his gaze to Selena. "Sort of, but private  
>important."<p>

Miley sat up and Selena noticed her change in mood immediately. She was more  
>curious now. "I saw that. Do you guys talk about me behind my back?"<p>

Selena shrugged not exactly knowing where Nick was going with this. Maybe he  
>just meant he didn't want Miley to hear their conversation.<p>

"Miley. Not now. Why don't you take it down a notch?" Nick suggested.

Miley scoffed and Selena shivered, knowing this was going to a bad place. "Are  
>you telling me to calm down?"<p>

Selena shook her head quickly to warn him.

"No...?" He said unsure.

"Guys." Kevin glared at Nick. "Back to neutral ground. Demi."

Danielle placed her hand over Kevin's.

Selena looked over to Miley, speechless, which was what happened to her every  
>time Demi came up.<p>

Miley looked over to Nick. "I think the best thing for us is not to think or  
>talk about Demi for a few weeks or at least until she calls."<p>

"Why?"

"Its just going to make us sad. We can't be like that for the rest of our lives.  
>I have other things to worry about."<p>

"Oh, and Demi gets put to bottom of your list? Probably too busy taking care of  
>your Aussy boyfriend." Nick's retort was quick and he was sure, pretty sure once he saw Miley's expression, that he wanted to immediately take it back.<p>

"Nick, you don't know what you're talkin-" Miley cut off Selena by holding up  
>her hand.<p>

"You sound jealous, Jonas."

"Im not jealous." Nick glanced to Selena who was uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Your mistake is in thinking Miley doesn't care about Demi more than anyone else  
>can even claim."<p>

Nick looked over at Kevin and Danielle who were observing their exchange. "We  
>should go. Joe has probably already noticed we're not back yet." He stood up<br>nodding to Selena. "Bye." He gave her little wave not even acknowledging Miley  
>before he walked out.<p>

Miley's mouth dropped open in shock and Selena looked down. "No, he didn't."  
>Before Selena could stop her, not that she was going to with the temper Miley<br>was in, Miley had rounded out of her chair and stomped after Nick Jonas.

"Oh, he's got nerve, huh?" Selena laughed.

Kevin just stared at her.

"What'd I say?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Miley's POV 2

Miley, unsure why she felt the need to go after Nick, stomped down the ramp at  
>the restaurant and pulled on his suit jacket to make him look at her. She knew<br>she was stupid when she finally saw his face and had nothing to say. What would  
>she say? Why didn't he say bye to her? Then he would assume that she cared and<br>she didn't want that. She had to say something, though, because Nick was looking  
>at her with the 'what are you waiting for' stare she had memorized during their<br>relationship. "Um, I just thought I'd get a hug for the paparazzi. Just to show  
>that we're friends."<p>

"Why lie to them?" Nick said coldly and Miley felt like he had literally punched  
>her directly in her stomach. Hard. Nick also did that thing where he wished he<br>could take something back. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Miles. I'm just get so 'ugh'  
>around you." He screamed the 'ugh' part and had many of the diners looking their<br>way.

"I deserved it. I've been such a witch to you." Miley said. "I want us to be  
>friends. I just.. You make me so 'ugh', too."<p>

Nick laughed. "You'd think as two songwriters, we'd know 'ugh' wasn't a word."

"I won't tell anyone if you don't."

Nick smiled. "Bye, Miley."

"That's more like it." She hugged him. "Bye, Nick."

* * *

><p><strong>Short. I know. But I posted chapter six along with it. I usually only do one POV a chapter. That 's why some are so short. It's the way I did them on my ipod so that I could keep up with them.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Taylor S's POV

November 10th

It was three days before Taylor went to visit Miley again. She was still at the  
>same hotel and Taylor wondered when she might go home and she asked her.<p>

"Um, not for awhile probably. I think when I'm eighteen, I might get my own  
>house and that's when I'll go home. To… my own house." Miley had this sort of<br>dazed look on her face like she was fantasizing what'd it be like to be on her  
>own.<p>

Taylor sighed. "It's not all it's cracked up to be." She tilted her gaze to  
>Miley. "Let me tell you, first you'll start to miss your mom and then your dad,<br>but especially your brother or sister, whoever you're closest to. Only because-"

"I know what you're saying." She paused. "I miss them now. And I miss..."

"What?"

"Selena, Nick, Kevin, Danielle and I have made a solemn oath not to bring up...  
>Demi anymore. We're not going to say her name at all until she's able to call<br>again."

Taylor swiped her fingers over her mouth with a smile. "My lips are sealed."

"So.." Miley said, changing the subject. "How are you and Jake?"

Taylor shrugged. "That's...good, I guess."

Miley was silent as she stared at Taylor. Instead of being intimidated by the  
>silent stare, Taylor stared right back. The girl looked like she had gone<br>through everything that a person could go through in one lifetime in one week.  
>Her blue eyes appeared deeply thoughtful as if there were tons on her mind and<br>she was just searching for an excuse to get away from her reverie.

"Hmm…" She hummed, the sound reverberating at the back of her throat. "Nick?"

"What?"

"Earlier you said you had an agreement with Nick. That's new." Taylor waited to  
>hear what she would say about it with a raised eyebrow.<p>

"We had a dinner-"

"Stop there." Taylor held up a hand and shook her head in disbelief. Then she  
>scrunched her face up. "What?"<p>

Miley laughed at Taylor's expression. "We all had dinner together. Nick and I  
>are going to be just friends."<p>

Taylor dropped her hand but still had her face scrunched up. "Miley, what has  
>been going on the last week with you?"<p>

"My parents are getting a divorce. My best friend went to rehab. My boyfriend of  
>over a year broke up with me. Believe me. I need all the friends I can get."<p>

Taylor hugged her suddenly with a tight embrace which made Miley hug her back.  
>She didn't know how this girl was dealing with so much in such a small amount of time. Maybe<br>friends were the answer. Maybe they made you strong when you least expected to  
>be. "I've got to get me some friends."<p>

"You can borrow mines." Miley grinned. "You already have Selena and when all  
>else fails you can come to me."<p>

Taylor looked down. What was going with her life? CD. New boyfriend. Scheduled  
>tour. She kept fantasizing about her old boyfriend holding her tight like he<br>used to. Wait. Where did that last thing come from? Backspace. Backspace.  
>Backspace. She had a great freaking life.<p>

Miley just gave her a comforting smile as if she knew what she was thinking.  
>"You don't always have to have bad news to have a friend." She grabbed her hand.<br>"Are you excited about the tour?"

Alright, Taylor thought, safe subject. They talked a little bit about the tour  
>while a Kelly Clarkson song played in the background that strangely made Taylor<br>think of her relationship with Joe. Since you've been gone, she mused, I get  
>what I want since you've been gone. "Miley, do ever think that Nick and you will<br>get over a lot of stuff to grow up, get married, and have a few kids?"

The question had pained her. You could see it across her face. "Well, I have  
>high hopes for me and Ian Somerhalder," she joked. "But yes, sometimes I think about Nick but<br>I also think the same thing about Liam and Cody and Justin. It's always what  
>could've been." Then she smiled. "My kids would always be hot, though, like<br>munchkin models."

That made Taylor laugh but sobered when Miley asked the next question.

"Do you ever think about Taylor in that way?"

"I think a lot of things. My first thought is usually if I'm supposed to end up  
>with Taylor then what am I doing with Jake? Then I think stop thinking of Taylor<br>at all. Then I ruin all that thinking about his smile rivaled everyones. My day  
>is just a ongoing test in forgetting about him. My first real love." Taylor<br>forced a grin on her face. "It's really hard to forget first loves, right?"

"You think? Especially if you see them at least once a day." She looked down at  
>her cell as it started to ring with the 'La La La' ringtone by Auburn and Iyaz.<br>"And they call you... constantly."

"And thats the ringtone you picked?" Taylor laughed along with Miley as she  
>picked up the phone, reluctantly.<p>

"Yes, Nick? No, Nick. We can't get together everyday plus I'm with someone right  
>now." Miley laughed. "You're jealous. No, don't start acting like Joe." Miley<br>laughed loudly this time startling Taylor. "Stop that. Fine, but you come over  
>here. Yes, I'm at the hotel." She rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not in my hotel room<br>with a guy. Bye, Nick, before I change my mind." Miley clicked her phone off.

"I guess I better get out of here."

"No, you don't have to go." Miley said half-heartedly.

Taylor nodded. "Actually, I've got to call Selena then get ready for my David  
>Letterman interview." Taylor didn't know what she would talk about when she<br>called Selena but ever since Demi had suddenly checked into a rehab clinic she  
>had found the need to stay in touch with her friends. All of them. Except one.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading my story and please review. 3 -Carrie<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Nick's POV 2

November 10th

Nick stepped through Miley's hotel room door halfway expecting her boyfriend to be there or whoever had been there previously. What was he thinking? All he knew was that it was harder to forget a whole perfect relationship to be friends with the same girl. Well, not exactly perfect. Nothing about their relationship had ever been perfect.

"Who are you looking for?" Miley asked behind him.

Nick smiled, turning. "You. Who else?"

Nick noticed the indecisiveness cross her face and made him want to get out of here. It made him think this whole cagey relationship was a big mistake. "Nick, what's wrong?"

That question forced Nick to get back to the crisis at hand, the very reason he was here. Well, that wasn't completely true. The reason he was here was because Miley was his only real friend. "My family's falling apart."

"Oh." Miley advanced on him fast, rubbing her hand along her back. "Why? What's going on?"

"It's the Joe, Demi, and Ashley thing." Nick shrugged not really sure what was going on. "Nobody really wants to talk about what's happening so we're not talking at all."

Miley led Nick over to the couch and watched him sit down before lowering herself beside him but looked straight ahead. "I'm sort of going through the same thing.

Nick, even though he knew he'd regret it, reached out and grabbed her hand comfortingly. Tish and Billy Ray, Miley's parents, had been a couple that everyone in Hollywood and everywhere else had thought would be the last couple to ever break up. "Hey." Nick gave her a smile he hoped comforted her. "This will probably cause me to kill myself, but for you..." Nick faked a pained look. "We can watch the Notebook."

Miley laughed and Nick inwardly cringed. _Why was he so addicted to a smile?_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Miley's POV 3

Miley passed the popcorn, that room service had delivered awhile ago, over to Nick. She might appear as if she was watching the movie but she had been observing Nick all night. Miley glanced over at him exactly when he tried to hide his smile over the movie. Nick had always pretended as if he didn't like this movie. He probably thought it would ruin his masculine image, but what he didn't know was that Miley couldn't get over how masculine he was. She was the first person who would think he was anything but. She couldn't help but reminisce over the dates that she and Nick used to have. That's what this felt like. It also felt like… a bad idea. "Nick?" She said quietly.

She watched Nick tear his gaze away from the movie and she wanted to smile. She loved the little things they knew about one another but sometimes wished she wasn't so in tune with him so that she didn't feel like she'd fall back in love with him at any moment. She was closer to Nick than anyone. Even Demi. "Yeah?"

"Are you and Joe going to be okay?"

Nick had a dark cloud deeply tent his features and Miley noticed his good mood fade. He shrugged. "I just never imagined our family would be this separated."

"I think you should talk to him. Neither Demi nor I want you to lose your brother over...something that is going to pass or our opinions of him."

"What is Demi's opinion of him?"

"She obviously thinks he's awesome or she wouldn't be in this position in the first place." Miley laughed.

"And what's your opinion of him?"

"He's… one of a kind." Miley pursed her lips tightly together then she looked over at Nick who looked confused. "He's really hot."

Nicks mouth dropped open in surprise as Miley laughed. He pushed her shoulder playfully. "Miley."

"Alright." She rolled her eyes but looked at Nick serious. "I think he's slightly confused. I really think that if Joe had left my friend out of his train of girlfriends trying to find himself we could have been friends. We're a lot alike, Joe and I."

"You both have a lot of girlfriends and boyfriends?"

Miley looked down. "No."

"You're both lusted after by teen girls and boys?"

"No. We're both searching for ourselves in someone else."

Nick sighed. "Miley, you don't have to search for yourself at all. I know exactly who you are."

She looked over at him expectantly.

"Miley Ray Cyrus, there really is no such thing as finding yourself. You are who you are and in your case that's beautiful, talented, original, funny, generous, loving, accepting, gorgeous, intelligent, artistic, and sexy."

Miley felt overwhelmed by the emotions running through her. "You said beautiful, gorgeous, and sexy."

Nick blushed. "I think it's safer for us if we don't broach that subject ever again."

Miley felt a tad bit disappointed but she knew it was for the best.

November 11th

"Selena, we need to talk." She conveyed over the phone to her new friend. If they really were going to be friends, it was probably time to mention a certain topic that all friends talked about with one another. Boys. They couldn't avoid Nick Jonas any longer.

* * *

><p>When Selena joined Miley later at the hotel restaurant, she didn't waste time. She went straight to the point. "So, what's this about?"<p>

So much for subtlety, Miley thought. There would be no stalling with this one. "We should talk about... Nick."

"Oh...him." Selena waved her hand away from her body at the subject. "He's all yours."

"What?"

"Isn't that what you called me for?"

"Yes. But he's Nick Jonas. I thought you'd be a little angry."

Selena laughed. "And that is the reason he is all yours. You've always thought way more of him than I did and I noticed it was a mutual feeling, anyway. Plus my boyfriend is waay better than Nick Jonas."

"So, we can talk about him?"

"Sure." Selena grinned. "What's going on?"

Miley looked around for a second before whispering over to Selena. "He's…flirting with me, but I don't think he wants to date. Every time we even get close to a subject like that, he changes it up."

"Has he told you that he doesn't want...more?"

Miley shook her head. "No. It just seems that way because he definitely doesn't want to talk about it."

"The way I see it, if he doesn't say 'no, I want to stay friends' then I see no reason in not pursuing this relationship." Selena shrugged her left shoulder. "In the meantime, you should stay friends with him. This guy is a heartbreaker. And as strange as this may sound, I don't want him to break yours."

"Aww. Have I grown on somebody?" Miley teased with a wide smile.

Selena tilted her head slightly to the side as if she were surprised, too. "I guess you have. I've grown attached to you. You'll never get rid of me now."

Miley waved that off with a playful curse. "Damn." She said, still smiling.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you like the two chapters that I have uploaded today. O<strong>**h, and Joseph may not have a chapter for awhile. He'll be in it. Soon but it's not his time yet.** **Please read and review.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Taylor S's POV 2

November 11th

Around twelve 'o clock noon, Taylor made it to her scheduled appearance at the CMAs. She posed with a lot of her acquaintances including Kellie Pickler and Carrie Underwood, both legendary country/pop singers who had taught Taylor quite a bit about the business. When it neared time for her to go on stage, Taylor was more nervous than she had been the first time she had ever performed. She didn't know what she was thinking when she wrote this song but when she was writing it she hadn't intended for it to go on the album. She had just wanted to secretly acknowledge to herself and maybe to Taylor also that she was sorry. But it just so happened that her producer heard it when she had been recording it to finally see what it sounded like as an end result and he insisted that it be put on the album immediately. Taylor groaned now. This would be her first time ever performing it on live and in front of a huge audience. These were the moments when she posed the almighty question to herself. Why her? She stepped out behind the curtains where the crowd couldn't see her and sat at the piano. She took a deep breath and began...Back to December.

* * *

><p>Taylor looked out in the crowd after her performance to see... Taylor Lautner. What was he doing here? This was obviously country music territory, the last place she'd ever thought to see Taylor. His face was stoic and completely expressionless. She couldn't tell if this was good news or bad news and she told herself not to care. She had Jake. Everything was going good between them and she, Taylor Swift, was not going to care. At least that's what she told herself. But looking into his deep brown eyes, she knew the facade was so fake. She groaned loudly walking off the stage. Why was she so hung up on a guy who was eighteen, two years her junior? She always said it was because he was the only guy who she was the one who had ended the relationship, the one who had done him wrong. It was definitely nothing like her relationship with Joe Jonas or John Mayer. With Taylor she has felt loved, like someone actually cared what happened. With their relationship, not just to theirself. Taylor was her first unselfish boyfriend.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Miley's POV 4

November 12th

Miley answered her phone a little pissed from the mixed signals Nick was confusing her with. "What?"

"Miley…what's wrong?" Asked a familiar female country twang. It was her mom.

What now? She thought. Last time she talked to either one of her parents had been when they had announced the divorce. Clearly not good news, she tended to avoid them since then. "Nothing, mom. Just a stressful day."

"Well, my news should take that frown and turn it upside down." That's what she thinks, Miley thought. There was only a few things that could lift her mood and going back in time about two years was at the top of the list. She doubted her mom had anything of the sort to tell her.

"What is it?" She softened her voice knowing it was just her very innocent mom and she shouldn't be taking her anger out on her. It was more than stressful for Miley when her mom pretended there was no divorce.

"I just got off the phone with the director of that movie you auditioned for last month." Miley's mouth dropped open. She altogether forgot about that audition. She knew the next words that were coming and her mom was right, for once. This was good news. "You got the part."

Miley smiled. "Mom, that's so great." She couldn't wait to get into the swing of things and meet her new castmates. Well, the ones that weren't total assholes. She couldn't wait to tell Nick and Selena. And Demi. Demi... oh no. She couldn't tell Demi because Demi was in treatment and she was out of touch and she couldn't go to set. What if Demi called and wanted to talk and she was too busy?

"I know." Tish said, breaking through her thoughts.

"I don't know…" Miley said, suddenly unsure.

"What's wrong? I thought you were excited."

"I am…it's just…" Before Miley could say anything else, Tish interrupted.

"Your new friends?"

"What?"

"You know…" Obviously her mom was trying to insinuate something. "There were pictures up of you having dinner with the Jonas clan. I thought you hated them."

"I don't hate them." She said. Well, she didn't hate them all.

"No, every teen in the world thinks you hate Joe. And that's not good for your image."

Miley sighed. "I know you don't want people to think that I'm some atrocious teen with attitude issues, but mom I don't care about image."

"I know, sweetie." She could almost hear her mom's know-it-all smirk over the phone. "That's what _I'm_here for."

"Anyways, I don't hate Joe. I dislike him. You know how these things go." Yeah, right. "We're celebrities. We fight and then we'll be friends next month." Yeah effin' right. Not going to happen.

"I hope so." The way Tish said it it was like she didn't believe a word of it and neither did Miley.

"When are we filming?"

"Filming starts December fifteenth." Her mom's voice took on an excited air making Miley happy she changed the subject.

She listened to her mother drone on and on about the details to the movie while in her head she planned a trip to go see Demi. First thing she would need is company.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Selena's POV 3

November 13th

Selena laid back on the couch in her dressing room on the set of Wizards and smiled as David entered. "Hey you."

He approached her smiling widely. "Hey yourself." He sat down next to her. "You okay? You really wore yourself out in that last scene."

She rolled her head sideways on the back of the couch to catch his eyes. "I'm really sad that this is the last season of the show. I'm going to miss all this time we all spend together."

"Yeah." David said. "We've spent over four years together almost nonstop." He bent down suddenly and pulled her feet on top of his.

Selena settled into the couch as David slipped her shoes off for the usual Saturday foot massage he gave her. "We've had so many good times."

David laughed. "Remember that time that Jake's foot actually got stuck in the stairs for that one scene and the writers decided to leave it in."

Selena laughed remembering Jake's expression. "Or that time-" she broke off as David began to knead his fingers gently into the soles of her feet. She tried her best to continue. "That time that- that we all-" she groaned. "That feels so good."

"I'm sorry. Am I distracting you?" He said, his tone not apologetic at all.

"I'm fine." The phone beside Selena's dressing room couch on the floor starting to ring with an "A Year Without Rain" ringtone. She turned her head to the floor already knowing who was calling considering it was their custom ringtone she had assigned specifically to her, and only her and Miley knew why. She sighed and snatched the phone from floor, answering it. "Hey Miles."

"Sel," Selena's groan turned into a moan and she covered her mouth with her other hand completely mortified. "Uh, is this a…bad time?"

Selena's face burned with embarassment. "I know what you're thinking but that's not what is happening here."

David smirked, amused.

"Whatever you say." God, she hated when Miley was sarcastic. "I don't judge."

"Yeah. That's what you always say." She could be sarcastic too. 

Miley giggled. "Is David there, Selena?"

"Yes, but it's not what you think."

"Either way, I'll call you back later." Before Selena could stop her, Miley said goodbye and hung up.

Selena hung up, too and let her phone drop back on the floor.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Miley's POV 5

Miley hung up the phone from her weird conversation with Selena and before she could set her phone down again, the ringtone sounded. She picked up already knowing who it was, considering she had talked to just about everyone else. "Jonas. What's up?"

"I'm bored."

She smiled conspiratorially. "Starbucks?"

"Oh yeah." Nick said his voice sending shivers over the phone line and through Miley. "Meet you there."

"I ordered for both of us." Miley grinned.

Nick furrowed his eyebrows. "You remember what I like?"

"Yeah. Complete with the dollop of whip cream on top."

"So, any news?"

"Well, I got a part in a movie." She said nonchalantly. "I'm thinking of visiting Demi at the end of the month whether they let me it not and my moms bugging me about my image."

"Wow. A movie part?" Nick said as the waitress sat their cups in front if them. "That's amazing, Mi."

Miley shrugged. "I guess so."

"How can you not be excited about this?" He asked, taking a small sip from his cup.

She shrugged again. "My mind is on Demi."

"I'm sure Demi would be happy for you, too. She wouldn't want you worried about her. She knows you have a life."

Miley stared at Nick across the table wondering what it was about him that seemed so…different. "So, I was going to ask Selena this, but she was busy earlier. Do you want to visit Demi with me?"

Nick never took his gaze from Miley. "That would be great." For awhile he pinned her with his chocolate eyes and the moment was awkward as it grew silent. Nick was the one who broke the silence. "Of course I have to check with my dad."

"Of course you do," she muttered.

But Nick heard her. "Or not."

Miley sighed ashamed of herself for making a comment like that. "Nick, I'm not trying to start anything. By all means, check with your dad."

"No. Sooner or later I'm going to have to make my own decisions and mistakes. "Might as well get used to it. I'm an adult." Nick finally took his gaze from the table and looked up at Miley.

Miley silently stirred her coffee as they slid into another awkward moment.

"Do you think I'm different, Miley?" Nick suddenly asked.

"Yeah, sure." You're much more intimidating, she thought. "You've got that older thing going on." Bigger biceps, which are very, _very_ attractive.

"Older thing?"

"Yeah. You're taller and you appear more mature."

Nick tilted his head slightly to the side. "You're very confusing."

"Sorry. Not the answer you were looking for, huh?" She gave him an apologetic look and bit her lip. 

Nick suddenly smiled. "No. I know you very well, Miley. You should already know I know what you mean."

She lifted an eyebrow. "And what did I mean?"

"You could've just said that you think I'm sexy."

Having been exactly what she meant Miley gasped as she blushed, shocked by his words. "What?"

Nick laughed at her expression. "I was just kidding." He bent at the waist, still laughing.

She glared at him. "Jonas." She growled between her teeth. Oh God. Nick did it again. Flustered her while still acting innocent as could be. What she had meant was that he was sexier. Well, he had been more…cute (yeah that was the word) than sexy, when he was fourteen. Right now, with him looking at her with those brown eyes, a color Miley never thought to be dangerous before but was seriously rethinking, he was more push-you-down-rip-your-clothes-off-sexy.

Nick sighed as his laughter settled. "Speaking of cute guys, where's your boyfriend? You guys always seemed to be together but now…not so much."

Miley looked down.

"I'm sorry." Nick said immediately. "None of my business."  
>Miley shrugged. "Are you kidding?" It was her turn to look at him confused now. "You called me with every single detail about Demi but you don't know that Liam and I broke up or that my parents are divorcing?"<p>

A strange expression passed over Nick's face. "Well, you and Liam are always breaking up in the gossip column. I don't know what to believe anymore. And I just figured your parents were a sore subject, I didn't want to make you…sad."

Miley stared at Nick like she couldn't how sincere he was being. "I see."

"Is something wrong, Miles?"

Well, to her, everything was all wrong. Starting from the divorce all the way to the fact she suddenly just touched on the reason Nick was so different. Not only had he filled out his shirts like never before, but he was also not so into himself. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

Maybe now wasn't the time to broach his many faults so Miley just mumbled, "Never mind." She raised her gaze to see him pinning her again with his stare. "I have to go."

"Oh." A flash of disappointment passed over his expression before he forced a smile. "Alright."

Miley stood. "Thanks for listening, Nick."

He grabbed her hand for a moment then let it go. "Bye, Miles."

She leaned down and kissed his cheek before awkwardly walking away.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Nick's POV 3

_

November 14th

Nick tapped lightly on his brother's front door before letting himself in. "Joe?"

He heard a puzzled, "In...here," before Joe appeared in the entryway. "Hey.."

"How you been doing?" He asked slowly and awkwardly. Nick thought Joe was probably wondering what he was doing here.

"Uh...fine. You?"

Nick scratched the back of his neck. "I sort of...can't say the same." Nick sighed.

"What's...up?" Joe said, stepping forward.

"It's Miley."

Joe shook his head. "Oh no." Then he turned and walked out of the room.

Nick followed him straight to the kitchen. "What do you mean 'oh no'?"

"Well, everytime a sentence starts with Miley, it's never good."

"Huh. She said something similar about you but...she said some other things as well, that were nice."

Joe turned from the blender he was about to cut on to Nick, "Miley said something nice about me?" Nick nodded and Joe asked, "What was it?"

"I don't know if she wants you to know, but she said that you and her were a lot alike and if you hadn't...used her best friend's heart in your long train of girls...her words...then you guys might be...friends."

"Alike? There's no way Miley and I are alike." Joe said shaking his head and turning back around to make his smoothie.

"You guys are exactly alike and that what worries me." 

"Why?"

"If Miley is a person who is searching for herself in another person and doesn't really know what she wants then...I'm screwed." Nick said. "Im in love with her."

Joe opened his mouth, probably to protest that description but he closed it.

"I...think Miley knows what she wants." Joe said after a minute. "If you keep going back to something, odds are you belong there. If Miley keeps coming back to you, maybe that's where and who she really wants to be with."

Nick looked down contemplating then looked back up at his brother. "You want to get some lunch? I thought I'd get some Fred Segel's."

"Sure. I love that place."

November 15th

Nick tapped his fingers on the door of Miley's hotel room quietly thinking if knocking. He leaned hisself against the hallway wall thinking to himself, 'what am I doing? This girl is obviously a heart breaker. You're setting yourself up for sadness and an endless bout of crying,' which he had never had over Selena. But was that a good thing or a bad thing?

"Nick?" Nick glanced up to see Miley standing at the the door looking down at him puzzled. "What are you doing?"

He stood up slowly not really knowing the answer to that question. "I...was..."

He sighed. "I don't know."

She looked at him for a minute and Nick half expected her to shoo him away for good but she just smiled and said, "Come on in."

Nick followed her into the suite where they sat on the couch together, touching knees while facing each other and staring intently at each other.

"How's your family? Nothings happened, right?"

"Nope. Even had a talk with Joe."

Miley nodded. "That's great."

"Is it?"

"Yeah. That's...what you wanted isn't it?"

Nick slowly grinned. "I think you were right about the Joe thing. He is trying to find himself in other people. I had to tell him the same thing I told you."

Miley smiled. "You told Joe he was beautiful, gorgeous and sexy? Go Joe. Everyone needs to hear that once in awhile."

Nick laughed. "No. I told him there's no such thing as finding yourself. You are who you are." Nick took Miley's hand. "I don't want you to forget that." He said staring deeply into her gaze.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Miley's POV 6

_

Continued from last part...

Miley was speechless. Nick was staring into her eyes and telling her he liked her the way she was. He didnt want her to change. And he was touching her, the lightest caress on the back of her hand that was laying palm down on her lap.

He suddenly put an inch or so between them giving Miley her breath back. "How about a movie?"

Miley shrugged still speechless. "You don't have any place to be?"

"What do you mean? I'm here."

"Well...the old Nick would be rushing off somewhere."

Nick looked back over at Miley for a moment then turned back to the tv to see what was on.

"Oh no." She took the remote out of his hand. "What was that look for?"

Nick reached for the remote but Miley removed it from his reach. "What look?"

"You know what look, Nick. Don't play with me. Why'd you look like that?"

Nick sighed. "It's just that I'm...learning a lot of stuff out about our...relationship that you didn't like."

"Oh." Miley shrugged handing him the remote back. "Well, every relationship has stuff that went wrong."

"You're right."

"I always am."

"Are not."

"Am, too."

"Are not."

"Am, to-" Miley glanced toward the television to see something that she didn't want to see: Nick on the TV with some girl. She snatched the remote and turned up the volume.

"Things are heating up between Nick Jonas and his Les Mis costar Samantha Barks. The other day we caught these candids of Nick with the young twenty year old actress."

Nick sighed and tried to take the remote. "Miley-"

"Shhh..." She returned her gaze back to the television.

"Nick Jonas is reportedly DATING the sweet English beauty according to sources close to the couple."

Miley laughed finding humor in the whole thing.

Nick looked at Miley in surprise. "What's so funny?"

"They're such suck ups when they're telling everyones business." Miley leaned back laying the back of her head on the rear of the couch. "Sweet English beauty." Miley said mocking them. "This is what's wrong with the news system-"

"Miley, don't you want to ask me if I'm dating her?" Nick interrupted her rant.

Miley let out a slow breath then leaned forward so she was looking at Nick directly. "Nick, I'm your friend. I know you know that. You'll...tell me when you're ready." She said simply. Then she sat back again. "And when that time comes, I'll be listening."

"Are you listening now?"

"Always." She forced an understanding smile on her face.

"We aren't friends."

Miley's face instantly fell and she could feel tears about to follow. She sat back, averting her gaze. "Oh."

"Miley, I love you. I can't be...just friends with you. It's… weird."

Miley looked over at him, the pain in her chest slowly easing with his words. "You love me?"

"Of course I do and you're my best friend but...I can't do it anymore. I want to do things with you that...friends just don't do with each other." Nick said moving closer.

"Things? Watch it purity ring boy, I don't do things." Miley smiled jokingly.

Nick laughed and crushed his lips to Mileys, bringing his hand to her cheek to cup it softly as he slowly moved his lips along hers.

After a moment, Miley pulled away. "Alllllright."

Nick let go of Miley and set with his back against the couch. "Okay." Then he turned his head to stare at Miley again who was definitely at a loss for words.

Before either of them knew it, Selena burst through the door crying heading straight for Miley.

Miley hurriedly stood and caught Selena in a tight hug.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Selena's POV 4

"Oh sweetie," Miley said rubbing her back comfortingly. "What's wrong?"

"David's friends with Lucy and shes taking him to LUNCH." Selena said pulling away from Miley.

"Oh. What for? Are they celebrating something?" Miley guided Selena to sit down on the couch between her and Nick.

"David got a part in a television show as a guest star." Selena said suddenly with a small sullen smile.

"Well honey, that's great but...didn't she think YOU'D want to celebrate with them?"

"That's what I said!" Selena said suddenly making Nick and Miley jump slightly. "Then David accused me of being jealous."

"Smooth Henrie," Nick muttered but heard him. She glared at him for a moment making him silent.

"Why?" She asked Selena turning back to her.

"Well, because I also said...she just wanted to get him alone."

"Alone..." Miley trailed off the word wondering what Selena meant.

"Yeah...so she could steal him away from me!" She said, trying to push her point onto Miley.

Miley nodded understandably. "I see. So let's get this straight... You and David, who loves you, had a fight about Lucy, who he doesn't love or even think about in that way at all?"

Selena looked over at Miley. "You're making me sound stupid."

"Not stupid. In fact, incredibly right. She's after your boyfriend clearly or else she would've invited you. It doesn't make sense not to. What also doesn't make sense is why you're LETTING David fall into the trap."

"What do you mean LETTING?" Selena switched her between Miley and Nick several times.

"Y-"

"Although it surprises me to hear you're dating David...Miley is right...as always."

"THAT'S WHAT I SAID."

"And we'll never hear the end of that...but David is your boyfriend. You can just as easily...use your..."Nick trailed off with a blank look.

"Feminine wiles." Miley supplied.

"Yes. Those...to make David ditch Lucy." Nick said. "If David loves you..." he said gazing past Selena to Miley. "he'll come running."

Selena stood up and turned to them slowly. "What's going on here?"

"What do you mean? David being with Lucy or..."Miley trailed off and glanced at Nick before looking at Selena again.

Selena glared at Miley then pointed between Nick and Miley. "I mean this." She slowly smiled. "Could you guys like, scoot together for a second?"

Miley and Nick looked puzzled for a second then scooted right next to each other, elbows touching. "Is there a point to this?"

Selena's smirk turned into a smile. "Nope." She said and walked out yelling, "Bye Miley!"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Nick's POV 4

"Right." Miley said smiling, looking down and shaking her head. "That girl..."

"Selena likes happy endings..."

Miley's smile faded. "I don't want to hear about your exes happy endings."

"She's your friend, isn't she?"

"Y-yeah, I guess but I don't want to talk about her with you."

"Miley."

She finally looked at him.

"What _do_ you want to talk about?"

"I dont know. What do you want to talk about?" He could see she didn't want to go straight into what they were talking about before Selena interrupted them.

He just smiled at her. "Whatever you want to talk about."

Miley looked down. "What about that Justin Bieber kid? Isn't he cute?"

"Okay. I was wrong. I don't want to talk about Justin Bieber." Nick swung his gaze to her.

"What?" Miley asked innocently.

"You can't honestly expect me to answer that?" Nick stood up frustrated swiping his hand down his face. He wanted to talk about the kiss. He wanted to talk about their relationship.

"Going somewhere?" Miley asked warily.

"Not yet."

"Something wrong?"

Nick sat down next to Miley again. "Alright. Everything is good. Anything else you want to talk about?"

"Um...your parents. I really want you to tell them I'm sorry about...everything."

"Miley, that..doesn't have anything to do with us." 

"Uh..I've been acting pretty bad towards them when they haven't even done anything. Of course it does-"

"Miley!"

Miley sighed. "Okay, so you don't want to be friends anymore?"

"Just friends. I don't want to be just friends."

Miley's eyes caught his out of the corner of her gaze. "You want to date me?"

"I want to...yes." Nick said. "I do."

"You sound unsure."

"But I'm not. We've had our bumpy relationships." Nick shrugged. "And I've talked to...people about this...and I AM sure."

Miley narrowed her eyes. "Who is people?"

Nick mumbled something.

"I didn't hear that."

"Joe. I...talked to Joe about this."

"I...don't know what to say to that."

"I know Joe can be a bit..." Nick stopped when he gazed at Miley's face.

Miley smiled. "I'm happy that you talked to your brother. I know how hard that was for you."

Nick smiled back at her.

"I...need a little time, though."

Nick just continued to smile at her glad she had even said that. She could have completely rejected him.

Miley started to squirm and look away. "Can you stop looking at me like that?"

Nick shrugged. "Like what?"

Miley just shook her head so Nick immediately looked to the floor.

"Listen. If it makes you uncomfortable, I won't look at you at all." 

Miley laughed. "That's not going to work at all. Plus, it's not uncomfortable what I feel. You make me feel so many other things but not..." Miley trailed off as Nick leaned in for a kiss unable to resist. "Oh..." Miley pulled away and stood up touching her lips softly. "This is what I'm talking about. I can't think when you're here."

Nick stood up, too and nodded. "Youre right. I'll leave. But I'll be back. You need space right now." He headed to the door and stood by it for a moment with his eyes on Miley again. "Call me."

She nodded and watched Nick leave the hotel suite silently.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Selena's POV 5

_

Selena walked in the house that night with all different kinds of emotions. Happy for her friends, angry at David for not believing her and also worried at the same time. How was she supposed to 'lure him away from Lucy' as Nick had said? She headed to the kitchen only to find her mother and stepfather sitting at the table with their heads close together like they always were because they were so in love. She smiled. "Hey mom, dad."

"Sweetie," her mom said lifting her head. "David called. He's coming over."

Selena smiled widely. "Really?"

"Why do you sound so surprised? Aren't you dating him?" Her stepfather, Brian asks.

Selena turned to the kitchen sink and got a glass of water before returning her gaze to her parents. "Yes, but we sort of fought earlier."

"About what?" Her mother asked, getting up and standing by Selena.

"It was stupid. I may have been a little jealous...but I'm over that now." Selena continued to smile thinking of her talk with Nick and Miley and how right they sounded. "Did he say when he'd be here?"

Her mother shrugged. "He just said he'd be right over. I told him you'd be home soon."

Selena then heard the doorbell ring as her mother finished talking. "I'll get that." She rushed to the door without another word and flung it open. "I see you made it through security."

David nodded slowly. "Can I come in?"

Selena moved aside then shut the door as David passed her.

"I'm sorry, Sel," he burst into an apology immediately. "I'm so stupid."

"What are you talking about?" Selena folded her arms and stepped toward David.

"Let's just say Lucy _wasn't_ just after a friendship."

"_Surprise. Surprise._" She said sarcastically making David sweat a little.

"I should have listened to you."

Selena nodded.

"I've been torn up inside for the last few hours knowing that you were upset with me. I kept having this ongoing nightmare that you were going to dump me and leave me for someone like...Nick Jonas."

Selena laughed. "I don't know. That Justin Bieber guy is the hottest thing right now."

David shook his head and sighed. "God forbid."

Selena walked up to David standing right in front of him now and a smile came to her face. "I wasn't upset with you David. Well, I was but I got over it twenty minutes later when I had a talk with Nick."

"Nick Jonas? You talked..to him?" His eyebrows formed a frown.

"Yes, I did. And Miley. He made me realize something."

"By saying it or demonstrating it?" David asked with a weird look on his face.

"I don't know what you mean but..." Selena said with an innocent look on her face as she wrapped her arms around David's neck so that their faces were so close they could feel each other breathing. "I realized that I love you and I trust you and that's all that matters."

David smiled. "You love me?"

Selena rolled her eyes. "I don't know. Now that you mention it that Justin Bieber kid is looking pretty handsome nowadays."

"Is he?" David frowned.

"Yeah," Selena smiled mischievously, "but he's no you."

David laughed. "I love you, too."

"I know that, silly." She hit his shoulder playfully and smiled. "Do you want to go somewhere?"

"Sure."

_

"You're not even gonna ask where we're going?" Selena asked looking over at David. They were in his car while he let her take over the driving.

"I trust you." David smiled over at her. "As long as we're not going to see that Justin Bieber movie."

Selena laughed. "Wow. I think you've finally taken your jealously away from Nick and have a new target."

"No. I still don't like Nick."

"You don't have to worry about either of them."

"Why? Are they being killed off?" David joked or at least Selena hoped it was a joke. He said it with a smile.

Selena laughed. "You're so funny." She said slowly making sure that he knew that she was kidding.

"Yeah. So where are we going?" David asked as he looked in the direction they were headed.

"Ahhh. Finally giving in to your curiosity, are you?"

"What can I say? I don't have any restraint when it comes to you."

"Don't worry, David." She said stopping the car. "We're here, tough guy." Selena reached for the door handle but David stopped her.

"Wait there." He got out and preceded to go around to her side of the car and open the door. "There you are."

"You're just too good to be true." She said, sliding out. "You have a white horse hidden somewhere?"

"A black horse, actually." He said smiling and shutting the car door. "I'm more of a dark knight kind of guy."

"Who would've known? Justin Russo?" She joked.

David took Selena's hand as they walked toward the building. "So...the Wizards set, huh?" He looked over at her curiously.

"It's the only place ever that I wished I lived." Selena looked around as they entered the studio. "I only have happy memories of this place." Selena grabbed David's hand and dragged him along. " Over here is where Demi and I used to hang out between scenes of our shows." Her smile took on a sad look but she continued along. "This is where I met you, Jake, Jennifer, Maria and Deluise for the first time." She pulled him toward the stairs that led to their fake basement then she turned to him. "This is where you and I kissed for the first time."

David gave a small laugh. "There's just one problem with that, Sel."

"What's that?"

"We haven't had our first kiss yet."

Selena slowly stepped toward him and put her arms around his waist. "We'll have to fix that." She said intensely.

David smiled and leaned down putting his lips on hers as they swayed together.

She smiled into the kiss then pulled back. "See? I never lie."

They laughed together as David leaned down for another kiss.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Taylor S's POV 3

November 30th

It had been over two weeks since she had seen Taylor and she was hoping to keep it that way considering the feelings he made overflow inside her every time she DID see him. She shouldn't feel things like that for another guy when she had a boyfriend. Jake. She should be feeling things for him, but no matter how much she tried to shake her feelings for Taylor, she couldnt and she definitely wasn't developing any new ones for Jake. Sweet Jake. He was so good to her. And she always smiled when she saw him but lately it had become more forced than involuntary. She sort of missed the beginning of their relationship but it wasn't his fault that things had changed. It was hers. She had to write that stupid song for Taylor bringing back feelings that she had buried...with a hatchet. That hatchet obviously hadn't done it's job. She was relaxing in Jake's six million dollar New York apartment on his ten thousand dollar smooth leather couch when she glanced down at her caller I.D. as her cellphone began to ring and saw that Miley was calling. She immediately answered. "Miles. What's up?"

"Selena and I are having a sleepover tonight. She's finally getting over her nonstop David fest and I'm going to be on set in a couple days. It's the only time we'll have together for three months so..."

Taylor looked around the empty apartment and felt the loneliness hit her. "I'm so there." She answered interrupting Miley. "Can I bring anything?"

"No. Just yourself. That's the good thing about living in a hotel. The room service is excellent."

Taylor collapsed backward onto Miley's bed alongside of Selena who was already staring at the ceiling. "So Miley, I thought you'd be spending your last nights with your new friend. Nick Jonas." Taylor drew the last letters out.

Selena coughed really loudly and said, "You mean boyfriend?" so only Taylor heard it and she smiled along with Selena.

"Um...no. Nick and I are taking some space."

Selena sat up quickly. "Why? And for how long?"

"Nick has decided he wants to...move forward in our relationship. It's been two weeks since I've seen him but we're going to see Demi tomorrow together and I'm sure we'll talk then."

Taylor looked over at Selena who was still sitting there stunned obviously not knowing what to say. "So..the moving forward thing..have you thought about it?"

Miley slowly nodded. "I've thought about it."

"And...well?" Taylor prodded further.

"I'm not sure." Miley replied.

Taylor glanced over at Selena again but then did a double take just as she was about to look away. Selena looked genuinely hurt. She even had tears in hers eyes as she stared at the floor. Oh no. She didn't still have feelings for Nick, did she? "Sel..." Selena stopped her by holding up a hand.

"You're going to see Demi...with Nick?"She stood up slowly from the bed and Taylor feared she was about to snap. She was definitely hurt but not by Miley dating Nick. This was all about Demi.

"Oh God! I forgot to tell you, Selena. I'm so-"

Selena held up a hand for Miley too and shook her head. "I have to go." She choked out the words before she walked toward the hotel room door with her determined stride not looking back at all.

"Selena-" Miley called and as she was about to rub after her Taylor stopped her clueless as to what was actually going on except knowing this was about Demi.

"I'll go." Taylor said with hand on Miley's forearm. "It's fine. She won't talk to you." Taylor walked out of the room heading towards the elevator which Selena had just entered and she stood beside Selena in the small space quietly as the doors slid shut. They rode the elevator in silence until Taylor spoke up. "Sel."

"I don't want to talk about it, Taylor. You wouldn't understand."

Taylor shrugged and slipped her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "Alright. I think that's sort of rude, considering."

Selena turned to Taylor, her eyes slightly wide. "Cobsidering what, Taylor?" She snapped as the elevator stopped

Taylor turned to Selena too as the doors slid open. "Considering the fact that we tell each other everything and you're holding back on me. Considering we all go through pain and you just assuming I wouldn't understand just because I don't know your precious Demi like you guys do. Considering the fact that you always leave me out when it comes to her." Taylor gritted her teeth. "Forget it." She turned towards the exit to the elevator only to run into a hard chest and be stopped immediately. "Ow." She rubbed her chest.

"My bad." A familiar masculine voice said still hold her arms steady while Taylor felt a VERY familiar tingle shoot through her and knew exactly who the boulder was. Again, of all places, he had to show up here. He nodded to Selena. "Hey."

"Hey."

Taylor finally opened her eyes to stare right across into his chocolate brown orbs. Oh, how she loved them. "Taylor."

He smiled. "Taylor."

She smiled, too. Gosh, she missed how they always joked about that. Especially when he smiled and said her name. "I-uh..."

And whenever he let go she was always a puddle, a mess. Just like now. He stepped back. "You were leaving?"

"Actually, no. I was going back up." She glanced at Selena. "Are you?"

"No. I'm going home. Tell Miley I'll call her."

"Will you?"

Selena stopped then looked back at the two Taylors with something different in her eyes. Comprehension? Maybe she finally understood the pain behind Taylor's words. "Yes, I will."

Selena stepped out of the elevator and Taylor watched the doors close shutting her in and suddenly suffocating her with the need to escape his presence.

"Swift." Gosh. He was the only one who called her that. She slowly looked over at him.

"Yeah?"

"Um, I know that this may seem unusual but...bear with me."

Taylor was confused but she nodded which was all she could do. One syllable words and head gestures. She was so nervous around him.

"When you...when we broke up you did say that we would be friends, right?"

Taylor gave him another nod and waited for him to continue.

"So why didn't you call me or return any of my calls?"

This is where it got complicated for her. She could never lie to him. It was impossible for her. "I- I thought it would be best if we didn't see each other that much."

Taylor watched him slowly turn her way as analyzed that. "And who gave you the right to decide for both of us?"

"I decided for me."

"So what I want doesn't matter anymore...or are you saying that you don't want to be around me anymore?" Taylor glanced over at his expectant gaze and wished the elevator ride would go faster.

"Come on, Taylor. Are we really having this conversation?" She deliberately didn't look over at him again. "We broke up, remember?"

There was silence in the elevator car before he spoke again and he was close. So close she could feel his warm breath on her ear. "I still love you, Taylor." I know, she thought. "Do you still love me?"

She was leaning more into him now that her knees had gone weak and she was struggling to keep her head clear. "I, I, I have a boyfriend."

"Right. Jake." Saying his name didn't Taylor from his goal. "Where's Jake now?"

"Taylor," she pleaded almost as a prayer, "please don't."

"Do you still love me?"

She ignored his question and rounded on him. "You wonder why I don't talk to you anymore it's not that I don't want to, it's just that everything I want to say I can't tell you anymore, so there. I CAN'T talk to you."

"Stuff like?" He pushed on.

"Taylor!"

"Don't Taylor me, Taylor. I'm not going to quit. I need a reason. I love you and I know you love me. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why aren't we together? Why are you pretending we never were? Why are you with another guy? You don't even like him. Why don't you start telling me the truth?"

Taylor took in a deep breath but the elevator doors opened then and she felt a rush of relief. She didn't recognize any of the surroundings when her and Taylor stepped out. "Where am I?"

"My floor. You never pressed the one you wanted to go to."

Taylor let out another deeply frustrated breath before turning back to the elevator but she was too late. It was already closing. "No!" She slapped an open palm against the closed doors then pushed the button for the elevator to come back up. She never turned back towards Taylor.

"Hey." He grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Taylor." She tried to snatch her arm back feeling like her whole world was tilting. "You're hurting me."

He let her go but stood in the same spot, an inch from her body making her very aware of him so close to her. "I,... Would you please join me for dinner?"

The only dinner Taylor wanted was already an inch away from her lips. "I have to...Miley's waiting for me."

"Please, Tay. You can call her. Let her know you'll be late for just a little while." She might as well let her know she wouldn't be coming at all. Especially once he got his hands on her. So tempting.

And she shouldve said no but the only thing she heard from her lips was, "Okay."

He smiled. "Okay?"

"Okay." God, why was she so obsessed over someones smile? The voice inside her head blasted out, Because you love him! God, she did. So much. Unlove you by Ashley Tisdale, not so much a coincidence, started to play in her head as Taylor took hold of her hand and gently pulled him to her room.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Miley's POV 7

Miley answered the knock on her hotel room door expecting it to be Taylor or Selena or both of them but was surprised to hell when Nick walked in.

"Hey."

"Nick?" She stammered out. "What...are you doing here?"

"I dont think you get the meaning of "I love you" Miley." He said as she glanced outside her door to see if anyone else was out there and when she was satisfied there wasn't, she shut the door and went to stand in front of him with her arms crossed.

"Of course I do. What are you talking about?"

"Well, all this time you've been keeping me in suspense, I've had to stay away from you and I've missed you so much." He didn't to be staring at her face but he wasnt looking at her body either. He was gazing straight through her.

"Its been two weeks, Mi."

"I know." She smiled. "I missed you, too."

"I really can't wait any longer. I know I'm supposed to be the gentleman and give you space but... I don't have any space to give. Every second without you is agony and...I just had to come here and at least see you..." he placed his palm on her cheek.

"Thank you for coming. I was...about to call you anyway."

Nicks expression turned hopeful. "Oh really? Is it about us?"

"Well, yes and no. I kind of need to talk to you about Demi first."

"Oh." He said and gently pulled her by her hand to the couch and sat down beside her with their knees touching. "Shoot."

"You sort of...can't go with me to visit her."

Nick shook his head slowly. "What?"

Miley blew out a deep breath. "It's just a whole...situation that I'm going through with Selena. I sort of...forgot to invite and I can't just take you and not her...so I have to take her...if she ever talks to me again."

"I understand." He said immediately.

"You do?"

"Did you think I wouldn't?"

"No. This is just typical...you. You always understand me and you do whatever makes me happy. Why?"

"Because Miley...you and I are going to be friends a long time even if we aren't boyfriend and girlfriend. I'll still care about you and care what happens to you because you're important to me. Very important. I know that I've hurt you in the past when I wasn't there for you sometimes but I've grown up and I've realized that you need people in your life that care about you and you shouldn't just push them away. And oh my god...are you crying?" Nick lifted his thumbs to her cheeks to wipe the slipping tears from under her eyes. "Don't do that. What's wrong?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do about you. Youre too perfect for words."

Nick smirked. "I know something you can do with me." He tapped his lips subtly with a smile.

Miley laughed and kissed Nick on the cheek.

"Thats better. I love to see your smile."

She then blushed and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I really missed you."

"Has Selena been being a bad friend?"

"Not that Selena is a bad friend but she HAS been blowing me off to spend time with David. I've barely seen either of you in the past two weeks. Days like this that I wish Demi was here and SHE wasn't. I basically had no one."

"But Miley...if you had called me, there wouldn't have been any hesitation in me rushing right over."

"But I didn't. I'm...ready to give you an answer Nick."

Since her head was on his shoulder, he couldn't see her face so he turned and she lifted her gaze to him. "I'm listening."

"I will give you another shot Nick...because I shouldn't have even hesitated. You're...I love you. I love you so much." Miley tilted her head to the side and laid one hand in his thigh. "With you, it's like no matter how many times you hurt me I'll always have a shot for you."

Instead of Nick being happy he weirdly hung his head low looking down. "Have I hurt you alot?"

"Nick...I..." Miley didn't know if she wanted to answer that question. Would he be offended if she said yes. "I still love you."

"I do love you, Mi."

"I know." With her emotions overcoming her, Miley let the tears come again. She put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him, though. "God, Nick. I know what you're thinking."

"Don't you always?"

"And you should stop. Just stop thinking about what you're thinking about. You leaving is only going to break my heart again. That's not what either of us wants."

Nick took her hands in his and said nothing.

Miley grinned trying to take his mind away from that. "How about..." she swung one leg over to the other side of Nick's thighs to straddle him, surprising him, "we do those 'things' you mentioned two weeks ago?"

Nick laughed bringing a smile to his face. He grabbed both sides of her face gently and brought it down to his lips.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Miley's POV

Miley started the next day with a happy mood. Everything was going to be okay with her and Nick and she just had to tell Demi about the movie. Selena was still mad at her but things could change when she invited her to go see Demi with her. She marched up to Selena's door after pushing her car through the many paparazzi throwing questions out like, "Are you and Selena in a fight?" and "Are you excited about your new part?" Miley chose not to answer any of their questions and thought only on what she was going to say to Selena. When the door opened revealing Selena in a white shirt and jean shorts, Miley pasted a huge smile on her face hoping that Selena and her could push past their disagreement.

"Hey Miles." Selena said. "Sorry about last night. I just made such a dramatic exit, I didn't think it would be good to go back."

Miley raised her eyebrow with a curious frown. "I'm sorry. What?" Miley looked around around. "Am I at the right house? I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be the one apologizing."

"Miley..." Selena shook her head and nodded behind her. "Come in." She stepped back letting Miley inside and shutting the door. "Listen, I overreacted a little, a lot," she corrected. "I know I was hardly there, just like it was with Demi. I was so stupid."

"Selena, you're not stupid. We all have jobs. I could've called more often. It doesn't even matter because we're both going to see Demi today and that's all I am thinking about."

Selena brushed some her hair behind her ear, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Miley pointed to Selena and then herself and said slowly, "You. And. Me. Are going to visit Demi."

"What about Nick? And the talk you guys are going to have today?"

Miley blushed thinking about 'the talk.' "We sort of already had it last night and I explained that you and I are going to visit Demi instead. He understood."

"Back up." Selena said and took Miley's hands in hers. "You guys had 'the talk' already? What happened? What'd you decide?"

Miley started to shake her head slowly. "Does it matter-" But Selena interrupted her before she go anywhere else with that speech.

"It matter to me! I want to know if Nick is finally going to stop calling me to talk about you. It's all he's been doing this past month since he found out that we hang out now."

Miley gasped. "You guys do talk about me behind my back."

"Unfortunately, since it's Nick, we only say good things but if you don't tell me what happened I'll say bad things." Selena threatened.

Miley sighed. "Fine." She sat down on the couch that was beside her and Selena did the same still staring at her with that expectant look. "We, Nick and I, decided that we will date-" She didn't get to finish because Selena let out a loud squeal then that had her mother rushing in.

"What is it? What's going on?" Her mother said in a panicked tone.

Miley shrugged but Selena jumped up and ran over to her mom excitedly telling her the news. "Nick and Miley are going to date again."

Mandy put a hand over her heart and sighed in relief. "That's...sweet. I thought something worse had happened."

"Sel..." Miley groaned and walked over to her friend grabbing onto her arms trying to calm her. "Please don't alert everyone in the neighborhood."

"Why not? I'm really excited over this! And I know you are, too, Miss Miley. You can't fool me." Selena shot her a knowing smile.

Miley giggled. "I may be a little bit but we have to go."

"Right. Demi." She turned to her mom and kissed her on the cheek. "See ya later, mom."

"Bye, sweetie. Bye, Miley."

"Bye, Mandy." Miley slid her arm through Selena's as they walked out the front door. "Yours or mine." She said as she felt her phone buzz in her pocket letting her know she had received a text.

She pulled her phone out as Selena pointed to Miley's car. "Your car is faster. I like the speed."

"Does David know you like speed?" Miley joked as she read the text silently and smiled. I can't wait to see you, beautiful. -Nick

Selena gasped and hit Miley's arm playfully. "Stop it, Miley. You're so bad."

"Everybody loves me this way." She smirked.

Selena laughed bumped her hip with Miley's. "Even Niiiick?"

"Especially Nick." She said and slid I to her seat of the car. "Buckle up for safety. It's going to be a bumpy ride." She gunned the ignition and slid out of the driveway.

"Oh. You say that to all your dates?" Selena jested

"No, Selena. You're just that special to me."

Selena crossed her legs in the spacious front seat as she buckled up her seatbelt. "Don't worry, Miley. I can take a rough ride."

Miley and Selena entered the room quietly that the attendant had shown them to just a few minutes ago and left them there. From the angle they entered, Demi hadn't noticed them yet. She was sitting on the foot of her bed staring up at the television watching the news.

"Small world, viewers. Miley Cyrus has just landed a role with her best friend, Demi Lovato's ex, Joe Jonas's new girl Ashley Greene. Will things get heated between the frenemies? I guess we'll all have to wait and see." Pictures of all four of them flashed across the screen and Miley turned up her nose up at the scene figuring she had seen and heard enough. She grabbed the remote off a nearby table and pushed the power off button muttering, "Worst news I've heard all week."

Selena giggled.

Demi had noticed them as soon as the television turned off and she jumped off the bed and ran to Miley throwing her arms around. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Selena stepped back awkwardly giving them space.

"Selena, get in this hug!" Demi said over Miley's shoulder and Selena joined them with a smile. "I missed you both so much."

"How can you with all this quality television you're watching?" Miley joked.

"I secretly love the gossip." She said, finally pulling back from the hug and then she hit Miley on the shoulder. "What's with you? I've been able to get phone calls for a week and you didn't call me to tell me about you getting a movie part?"

"I didn't want to bother you. Plus, I was planning this big surprise visit."

"This is big, Miley." Demi grabbed Selena and Miley's hand and brung them over to the couch, sitting down, one on each side. "You guys have got to tell me everything. I'm craving news, any news. Tell me." She begged.

Demi sat there open-mouth turning her gaze from Miley to Selena and then back again. "You and Nick?"

Miley nodded slowly.

Then she turned to Selena again. "And you and... David?"

Selena bit her lip and nodded.

"Oh my God. Best news I've heard all year!" Demi jumped up and did a little dance then stopped. "Wait." Miley put her head down then knowing what was coming next. "You're going to be with the Jonases." Demi said and sat down slowly back in her seat as if she was dumbfounded.

Miley put her arm around her shoulder and felt the stiffness Demi was now putting off. Selena put a hand on Demi's shoulder and gave her a comforting smile. "I'm not going to be with the Jonases. I'm going to be with Nick. Thats all."

"But they'll have little Jonas parties and you'll be invited and I'll be sitting at home...not invited because they hate me."

Miley laughed at that. "I doubt that the people that Selena and I talked to about you, hate you. They care for you very much. But if they do, you better believe if you're not going to the parties, I'm not going to the parties."

"Me, either." Selena says.

"Oh, guys. You don't have to do that." Demi took both of their hands. "Are you guys happy?"

Miley bit her lip and looked around. "I'm not going to be happy until I get my best friend back."

"I second that." Selena said and laid her head on Demi's shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys. This going to be my last one for a little while. Kind of<strong>

**not that long of a time because I've already written the next one. **

**=D Love you guys for reviewing.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Demi's POV

Demi watched as her friends said their last goodbyes and exited. She gave them one last wave before she went back over to the bed and sat cross-legged on the bed. She stared at the phone for a bit before she sat it directly in front of her, not using it, just tapping it and thinking...

Of a time not so long ago when she had Selena and Joe as her best friends, a different time, a happier time. At least for her. She would give anything to have it back, except she also knew she couldnt live without Miley in her life either.

She spread her legs out on either side of the phone as she continued to stare at it, hoping it would ring and a certain someone would be on the other side or that she at least got the balls to call them up and say...hi, I miss you... I hate you... I love you...

She shook her head and sighed. She never would. She didn't have the guts then and she didn't now. And she didn't think she ever would, which was why she was here in the first place. She didnt think she was good enough and she never would be.

She swiped a stray tear away off her cheek and laid down on the bed as she let the rest fall.

* * *

><p>Joe's POV<p>

"So? A solo album?" Nick asked Joe as him and his brothers sat having lunch at Fred Segel's.

"Yeah. I have a couple of things I need to get off my chest." Joe picked at his food as he watched his brother's expressions, nervously.

Kevin and Nick exchanged looks and then his older brother said as he looked back at Joe, "I think it's a great idea."

"Me, too." Nick agreed. "Can I ask a question, though?"

Joe nodded, curiously not expecting the question that came out of Nick's mouth.

"Did you write songs about Demi?"

"Uh..." This time he really he really fiddled with his food. "Yeah. I've sort of had a lot of feelings about what's going on."

"Do you think thats such a good idea?"

Joe sighed frustrated. "Don't worry, Nick. I'm really good at hiding who my songs are about unlike someone."

"What do you mean?" Nick asked suddenly looking up from something he was staring at under the table.

"Nevermind." Joe said, shaking his head. "I'm...going to see Demi, guys."

"Woah! No." Kevin said firmly. "I DON'T think that's a good idea. So no, Joe."

"I want to see her." He worried about her and he missed her. God, did he miss her. And he wanted to apologize.

"Demi's going through a rough time partly because of you." Kevin said. "She's hurting right now and I think you just need to give her some time."

Joe thought about what Kevin said. "But I don't want to be too late."

"Too late for what?"

"Demi is MY best friend. I don't want to lose her."

Kevin and Nick exchanged looks across the table again and Joe could tell from their expressions that he knew what they were thinking. It was already too late.

* * *

><p>December 1st<p>

Miley's POV

Miley tossed and turned on her bed as she kept gazing at her phone on her nightstand hoping it would buzz with some kind of message or call and then it did but it was the "La La La" by Auburn ringtone she was hoping for. It was "A Year Without Rain" which meant Selena. She swiped the phone off the nightstand and brought it to her ear tiredly answering it. "Hey, Sel."

"Hey, hey, hey." Selena said, more chipper than Miley was ever in the morning. "You, me, breakfast."

"Is there something you need to discuss?"

"Yes. I think it's pretty important." Miley noticed Selena's tone change to a serious one and she sighed.

"Alright, but I'm picking the place."

Selena met Miley outside of the restaurant and they walked in together taking a seat at a more private booth in the back thankful that even the paparazzi wasn't up this early. "Thanks for having breakfast with me although I know you may not want to talk about what I need to talk about."

Miley looked up at Selena slowly, suspicious. "What?"

"It's Joe." Selena said and Miley just stared at her with no reaction. "I need to know if you've forgiven him."

Miley scoffed. "As if." She said as they waitress came over, dropped off two glasses of water and took their orders and as she walked off Miley asked, "Why?"

Selena pursed her lips. "Nick called me-"

"What?" She interrupted not believing it after she had been waiting on him to call or text her. "What for? Why didn't he call me?"

Selena nervously bit at her nails. "He and I don't think that what he wants to talk about, you'll want to hear."

"Oh, please." Miley said. "Nick knows he can tell me anything. Is it about Joe?" Miley took a sip of her water.

Selena nodded slowly. "Mmhm."

"Just tell me Selena."

"He wants to see Demi."

Absolutely not. She started to shake her head.

"I think it'll be good for her." Selena said interrupting what Miley was about to say.

"How will that be good for her? I think he's only thinking about himself. As always." Miley raised a voice a notch not even noticing.

"I read somewhere that if people who go through what Demi go through never face what hurts them then they'll never get past the hurt." Selena looked down at her fingers. "I really need my best friend back, Miley."

Miley sighed looking at Selena's sad face. Great, since when was she the horrible one? "You don't know that that's true, Sel. Maybe it's best if she doesn't ever face it. Maybe it's best if she just moves on with her life."

The waitress came by and set their plates in front of them but neither Selena nor Miley reached for their food.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Miley but I think it's you that hasn't forgiven Joe yet. This has nothing to do with Demi."

"It has everything to do with Demi!"

Selena immediately shook her head at Miley. "No. I think Demi's forgiven Joe. She says nothing but great things about him-"

"Thats because it's a sickness! She can't do anything but blame herself!" Miley yelled attracting the attention of the few people up to eat breakfast in this diner. "With her, she's always going to be the one to blame. But you know better and Joe knows better."

Selena sat there soaking in Miley's words. "So what are you saying?"

Miley shrugged wishing she could take back the words but thankful that they were out there.

"You told me that Demi blamed herself for our fight." She said more like a statement than a question. Miley said nothing so Selena slowly nodded. Miley didn't want to just outright blame Selena for making Demi hurt and when Selena stood up, she wanted to pull her back down and apologize but she didnt. "Alright. I see. I'll go and I'll leave you alone."

* * *

><p><strong>HAPPY NILEY DAY!<strong>

**I'm trying more than one POV lately so the chapters are gonna be longer than my others. My excitement from Niley day produced three chapters so...REVIEW and tell me how excited you are. Chapter {1/3} today.**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Nick's POV

"So?" Nick asked Selena expectantly as she joined him in the studio the next day.

"I don't think me talking to Miley was such a great idea."

"Why? What happened?"

"Nothing. She just... got a little mad and I guess you can say truth hurts."

Nick stood up panicked when he noticed Selena had been crying. "Sel, what did she say? What happened?" He asked again.

Selena waved it off. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to see my boyfriend and you should call your girlfriend." With that Selena walked out leaving Nick confused.

* * *

><p>"Mi, where are you?" He stalked through the hotel room after the using the extra key that Miley gave him.<p>

She stepped from the bathroom and he stopped in his tracks. He could tell she had been up all night worried. Her hair looked like it had been pulled every way but the way it was supposed to be. Yesterday's mascara was smeared all down her cheek and the tear stains through the make up proved she had been crying.

"I don't know whats going on with you and Selena and I probably don't want to know, I just want to know if you're alright. If we might've said something wrong, I'm sorry."

"God, Nick, no." She said but her tears started up again and she ran back in the bathroom shutting the door and locking it.

Nick raced over to the door and knocked on it calmly. "Miles, come out, please. I just want to talk about it. You dont have to cry. We'll talk this through. Everything will be alright."

"You don't know that! Demi's gonna hate me!" She sniffled through the door as he heard her sobs loud and clear. "I didn't mean what I said. She was just making me so mad." She must be referring to Selena now.

"I'm sure Demi and Selena will understand. I'm sorry, Miles." He said quietly hoping she heard him. "I should've never put you in that position. I should've never sent Selena to talk to you about that."

"No. I should've never said what I said. My mom's right. Oh God, she'd love to hear that. I... should control my temper. It's why I lose so many people."

"Except me. I'm right here. Please come out."

"Baby," he could still hear her sniffles knowing she was about to deny him once again. "I think I just need to be alone right now. I don't want to talk to anybody. Lately, that just leads to trouble."

"Okay. We won't talk. I'll just sit with you and listen to you breathe if that's all you want."

He heard a slight laugh and hoped he was breaking through to her. "That's more creepy than watching me sleep."

"I guess then, that this would be an inappropriate time to tell you I've watched you sleep." He heard another quiet laugh from inside the bathroom and smiled. "Come on, Mi. I just missed you so much. Let me be here with you."

Before he had even finished he heard the door unlock and the knob turn as Miley's peeked her face out. "Okay."

* * *

><p>Later after Miley had washed all the makeup and tear stains from her face and Nick and Miley were in a comfortable position on the bed just holding each other and not saying a word, Miley spoke up. "Tell me how to make this right, Nick."<p>

Nick pulled back enough to look down at her. "You ready to tell me what happened?"

"Just a typical day in my horrible life." Miley sighed. "I made Selena feel like she had a part in where Demi is now. She won't pick up the phone when I call. She won't answer my texts. I may be... the worst bitch in the world."

"Don't say that." Nick pulled her closer to him and tighter in his grip. "I hate when you talk about yourself like that."

"It's true. I'm just another bully and I don't even know why you like me."

"I don't like you. I love you and I'm going to fix this for you. I'll talk to Selena. I'll have David talk to Selena. You and Selena are going to work this out before Demi even gets wind of it." Nick said firmly.

"Right." Miley said unconvinced then looked up at Nick. "You're going to talk to David?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Miley buried her face in Nick's chest again, laughing. "David hates you. I think he said something about bothersome ex-boyfriends."

Nick laughed at that too. "Don't worry. I'll fix it." He said determined.

* * *

><p>Nick felt like such a stalker as he crept onto the set of Wizards and stood outside Selena's dressing room watching the two people inside. Selena was laying on the couch curled up in a ball while David sat on the edge just comforting her by rubbing her back and whispering to her. He didn't know what David was saying but he hoped it made her feel better. He pulled out his phone and texted the number Miley had given him earlier for David. Meet me outside right now. -Nick.<p>

He watched David take his phone out then look at it curiously. He looked at Selena who didn't seem to notice then he whispered something to her and she nodded silently. He got up and headed towards the door, slipping out and looking around for his mysterious caller.

Nick rounded the side of the dressing room and said, "Hey."

David sighed. "Jonas. I should've known." Then he nodded his head toward where Selena was inside. "Did you have something to do with that?"

"A little bit. I may have involved Selena in my...problems. And she got caught in the crossfire. Everything just got out of hand."

David just stood there with his arms crossed. "What do you want now? Like you haven't already done enough damage. She's been crying for two days straight." David's calm look turned into a glare.

"I just want to fix it and Miley wants to fix it. It's all just a big misunderstanding."

* * *

><p>Mileys POV<p>

Miley tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as she sat at the last house she would ever want to be at. EVER. She breathed in another deep breath as she looked up at the door of the house and took another one as she pushed open the door to her car. Great, she thought sarcastically, the paparazzi are here. This will be all over the news by the end of the day, probably in the next ten minutes. The door opened before she even reached it and Joe stepped out and crossed his arms. "Did you come here for a fight? Because I'm not going to fight with you."

"No. I'm...dating your brother."

"I know that. Nick told me." Joe shrugged. "That's all he talks about while he's here. Miley. Miley. Miley."

Miley nodded and took another deep breath. It seemed like that was all she was doing lately because she was gathering up the courage for alot of things. "I'm like this close to you," she held up her thumb and pointer finger together to demonstrate, "You and Nick. Me and Nick. You and...Demi. Me and Demi." She said. "But I can't..." She struggled for words. "I can't talk to you."

"You're talking to me now."

"About Demi. I can't talk to you about Demi." Miley turned her face. Thinking of all the pain Demi was going through with the cutting and hurtful words that people slung at her. "You hurt her."

Joe uncrossed his arms and they fell to his side. "I know."

"She loved you and you went after Ashley." Something that just made Demi feel unwanted and ugly. It's kind of funny how much Miley understood her best friend but she also understood Joe. He was hurting too. "I came to apologize." She said quickly knowing the tears were coming. "To apologize and to say that going to see Demi might be the best thing for her."

Joe just stood there as his mouth slowly dropped open in surprise at her words and actions then shut.

"So...I'm sorry about my behavior."

Joe nodded.

"And I hope that after you visit Demi, everything will be okay enough for us to stand to be around each other." Miley crossed her arms and stood there. "For Nick's sake."

Joe just nodded again.

"Okay. Do you...have anything to say to me?"

"I...thank you, Miley." Joe said, getting his voice back. "I'm going to be honest and say I'm speechless right now. I have no idea what to say but I'm grateful that you're letting me see her. You may not believe this but she means alot to me."

Miley nodded slowly just keeping her gaze on him. "Alright. I'll talk...to you later."

"Are you going to tell her I'm coming?" Joe asked before she left.

"Um...no. I think I'll let it be a surprise." Demi talked about the Jonases all the time. She tried so hard not to keep the conversation centered around Joe and Miley noticed when Demi would stop talking every single time she spoke Joe's name. "I think she wants to see you, she just doesn't know it yet, so I'm... going to keep it quiet just she won't kill me."

* * *

><p>Joes POV<p>

"Okay."

Miley started to go one more time but turned back to Joe again. "Is your girlfriend going to be okay with this?"

"Ashley and I-"

Miley interrupted. "You dumped her? Already? Joe? Really?"

"What? I tried! She..." He trailed off when Miley started shaking her head.

"You're a mess, Joe." She said, laughing.

Joe started laughing with her and then, when they stopped, it was another awkward silence.

"Can I ask you something?" Miley said, lifting her gaze to him once again.

He nodded curious as to what she would want to know from him. "I guess."

"What happened with you and Demi? Why did you break up with her?"

Joe was shocked by her question. He had never planned on telling anyone why he broke up with Demi. But who would Miley tell, really? "She and I were best friends. I wanted us to be best friends. I started thinking of the consequences of dating your best friend and I ended it hoping we could go back to being...us. That backfired, obviously."

"You want to be with her, don't you?" Miley asked.

"Yeah, I do, but I can't. It's too late for that."

Miley smiled. "You know, Joe. Sometimes you make people forget why they ever hated you."

* * *

><p><strong>Niley marathon 23**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

December 3rd

Miley's POV

Miley dialed her friend up curious as to where she had been the last few days with no phone calls or anything.

"Hello?" She answered wearily.

"Tay?"

There was a pause and then, "Miles, hey."

"Tay, are you okay?"

Miley thought she heard a sniffle before Taylor began to talk again. "No."

"What's wrong?"

"Taylor..." All of a sudden she began sobbing over the phone. Oh God, what had happened?

"Taylor, it's okay. Just...tell me what happened. We can probably fix this."

"I slept with him!" She said shocking Miley. "I'm a horrible person. I cheated on my boyfriend."

"Taylor..." Miley didn't know what to say. Plus, having a conversation like this was awkward over the phone. "I'm coming. Where are you?"

* * *

><p>"Hey." Miley sat down next to Tay on the floor against the wall of her hotel room in an entirely different hotel than Miley's. She put a hand on Taylor's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "First things first. How do you feel about Taylor right now?"<p>

Taylor sobbed again but spoke. "I love him."

"And how do you feel about Jake?"

"I...he's my boyfriend. I..." She sighed. "Nothing." She finally finished rambling. "I don't feel anything for Jake. I don't want to hurt him."

"Jakes a big boy, Tay." She pulled Taylor's head to her shoulder and brushed her blonde tendrils back gently. "You can't stay with someone just to make them happy. You are fortunate to be happy with someone else who returns your feelings and you can't pass that up."

Taylor turned her wide innocent blue eyes up to Miley. "I haven't been back to Jake's apartment. And I haven't spoken to Taylor either. I just feel like such a betrayer." She tightened her small beige sweater around her abdomen over her stylish white sundress.

Miley sighed. "Selena and I fought."

"What do you mean? You guys are still fighting? She told me she would call you."

Miley shook her head. "No. It's a different fight. I got upset with her about saying some things about me and Joe and I blamed her for why Demi is in treatment." She brushed a hand through her hair letting out a deep breath. "She's never going to come near me again. She hates me."

"No." Taylor shook her head. "I think the reason she's avoiding you is because she thinks it's true."

Miley thought about that and the last words that Selena spoke. She said she would leave her alone. Like she was doing Miley a favor. Miley groaned and stood up. "Great. Listen, I have to go talk to Selena and you need to go talk to Taylor and probably Jake too."

Taylor nodded slowly as Miley hoped she would be okay.

* * *

><p>Demi's POV<p>

Demi lay in bed with the television down low just staring at it but not really watching. She figured she looked a mess since she hadn't done her hair or hadn't put any makeup on. She wore the crappy flannel pajamas she'd been lounging around in since the beginning of November. She wanted to call someone, to speak to anyone but she didn't have anything to say. She just needed someone. She felt like her prayers had been answered when one of the attendants came in.

"Miss Lovato, you have a visitor."

Demi sat up expecting Miley or Selena to walk through the door, but when she saw who it really was, her arms weakened and she fell back in her laying position, staring numbly up at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, hi." Joe stepped to the side of her bed, not taking his eyes from her. "I needed to talk."

"About what?" She asked cautiously, trying once again to sit up and did. She swung her legs to the other side of the bed trying to get as much distance as possible between them.

"I don't know. About this awkwardness between us. It has to end, for both our sakes." She had her back turned to him but she could hear the sincerity in his voice. She could always tell what he was feeling which was why it had come as a surprise to her when he dumped her just like that. She had loved him and he had loved her. "Demi." He spoke her name after she didn't answer him and Demi realized she missed it. He hadn't said her name for at least a month and a half and she missed the way he said it, the way it sounded when he was the one speaking it.

Demi felt her selfish side come to the surface, the side that loved the way Joe made her feel special when he said her name. "Where's Ashley?"

"On the set of Breaking Dawn, I think." Joe shrugged and then ruined her whole plan to stay away from him as he rounded the bed and sat down beside her. "We're over."

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about that. Was she supposed to feel happy that the guy she loved was no longer with the girl she constantly compared herself to, the perfect woman, or was she supposed to hate him for dumping yet another innocent unsuspecting decent human being? Strangely all she wanted to do was hug him, but yet it made sense. Her and Joe used to be best friends and they used to comfort each other through this stuff. But now they were strangers trapped in the best of friends bodies. Demi opened her mouth to say something, anything, but she didn't have a thing to say. So she just shrugged.

"Can't you just tell me what you're feeling for once?" He asked, his tone of voice raising getting frustrated.

"Feeling? I feel..." Useless, unperfect, unneeded, unnecessary, ugly. "Nothing. And whatever I do feel, you proved you don't care long ago, Joe."

"I do care. You misunderstood the breakup completely."

Demi shook her head as she lowered it, pinching the bridge of her nose between three of her fingers. Then she sighed, exasperated. "I don't WANT to understand. I don't want to talk about it."

"I need you in my life, Demz."

Those whispered words were caused the tears to overflow. Why did he have to call her that? Why did he have to know exactly what to say? She couldn't just cave that easily. He hurt her. He... She looked up at him and her hand fell to the bed. "I don't know if you being here is good for me right now. We'll talk, Joe. Just...not now. It's too soon. Please...just go." She kept eye contact with him although it was killing her to see the hurt behind his eyes. She couldn't give him the satisfaction of giving in. She had wanted to call him but now she know it would've been too soon. She deserved a little more time, a little more recovery.

Joe stood up hesitating before walking over to the door where he stopped again then turned. "I'm thinking about an album. I really need my best friend so...will you just call me, when you are ready to talk?"

She nodded slightly not looking at him but she felt when he left the room. She felt the emptiness.

* * *

><p><strong>Niley day Marathon {33}**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Nick's POV

"Miley thinks you hate her." Nick said quietly to the figure that wouldn't budge from the position she was in on her dressing room couch. She was still curled up in a ball with her eyes closed.

"I don't." That's was all she said and Nick sighed. David sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room, watching them. He didn't want Selena to be any more hurt than she already was.

"Tell me what you're thinking about."

"I'm thinking that Miley doesn't have to worry about me anymore. I'll stay away from her and I'll stay away from Demi."

Nick immediately shook his head. "No, you can't do that. That's not what Miley wants."

Selena said nothing as she sat up on the couch and looked at Nick directly in the eyes.

"Miley needs you. You're her friend and not just because Demi is in... treatment and she has no one else. She has Taylor. She needs you because...you're Selena. She likes your crazy antics like that time you told Miley and I to scoot together. She misses things like that. You need to talk to her. Please."

Selena also didn't say anything as Nick's eyes turned pleading. She just looked toward the floor and then up at David.

David stood up and crossed the room to put an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder.

There was a knock at the door then Jennifer Stone yelled to them. "Selena... Miley is here for you?" Jennifer posed it as a question as if she still couldn't believe Miley was on their set.

Selena glared over at Nick but he shrugged.

"I didn't call her."

"I did." David said as they both turned to him. "You guys need to talk about this. I know I'm just supposed to be the supportive boyfriend but I can't see you like this anymore. You're no longer Selena. So just listen to what Miley has to say."

They heard Miley's voice next. "Can I come in?"

Selena was still staring as she slowly nodded. "Okay."

Nick got up and opened the door for Miley. "Hey." He helped her up the stairs with one hand then kissed her forehead when she was in before they both turned to Selena and David and Nick put one of his hands on Miley's waist.

"Hey, Sel." Miley started forward but Selena held her hand up.

"That's far enough." Miley stopped, surprised by Selena's words. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I-I don't know...what to say to that." Miley glanced over at Nick for help and he stepped forward beside Miley.

"Selena," David said in her ear making her look up at him. Then he nudged her shoulder and nodded over at Miley with a stern look on his face.

Selen sighed and her expression softened. "I'm sorry." Selena said and stood up in front of Miley.

Miley blew her cheeks out and rolled her eyes. "Here we go again." Miley took ahold of Selena's shoulders and shook her body slightly. "Selena, I'm supposed to be the one apologizing. I'm the bitch, not you." Nick stepped forward and put his hand on Miley's shoulder before shaking us head. Miley sighed but Selena wrapped her arms around Miley which made Miley smile.

"I know that we upset you by talking about Joe. I promise I won't ever bring him up again."

Miley shrugged and shook her head. "Doesn't matter because Joe and I are sort of friends now."

"What?" She heard from all three other pairs of lips in the room.

"He and I... talked. He's going to see Demi today. End of story."

"Wow." David said finally joining the conversation. "Didn't see that coming..."

"I'm growing up. Mending relationships and still being me at the same time." She stepped back and put an arm around Nick's waist. "Who wants to go for ice cream?"

David looked to Selena and she nodded. "Let's go."

Taylor's POV

She knocked on the door and waited outside as she heard the shuffling of feet inside. The person must've looked through the peep hole because the next thing Taylor knows is the door snaps open and she is held tight in this guys arms. "God, Taylor." I've been worried about you for about four days. Why haven't you answered my calls? You didn't even leave a note. I just missed you so much."

Taylor didn't waste any time in connecting their lips together before she said, "I'm sorry. It's a long story, Tay."

He pushed the door close and continued to hold her. "I don't even care. Are you staying? Please stay."

"I'm staying." She said wrapping her arms tight around his midsection.

"Not to break up the best moment of my life but...what about your boyfriend?"

"I broke up with Jake. I didn't want to break up with him over the phone because thats a cruel way to get broken up with so that's...why I had to not see you for a few days. I had to go and see him...on his set and give him his keys back."

"Taylor," he pulled back and looked down into her gaze, "I didn't want to push you into that if you didn't want to do that, not that I'm not happy, but...are you sure?"

"I'm positive." She grinned up at him and slid her hands into his pockets like she used to do back when they were first dating. "I'm in the mood for some ice cream. What about you?"

"Whatever you want."

"Oh my," Selena grinned towards the door. "That is Taylor and Taylor right there. What have I missed?"

"Oh good, another one of your exes." David said sarcastically.

Selena gave him a playful glare as Nick shrugged. "At least it isn't Justin Bieber. Selena used to be obsessed with him."

Miley laughed. "Selena is still obsessed with him. Last week she was singing 'Bigger' in the shower when she slept over."

Taylor led Lautner over to their table when she spotted them with a big grin plastered over her face.

"You're a lot happier than when I saw you yesterday." Miley commented glancing at her phone as it buzzed on the table.

"Well, I guess you are too." Taylor smiled as she sat next to Selena and her other half sat across from her.

"Who is that?" Nick asked Miley nudging her shoulder and nodding to her phone.

Miley typed in some words and only glanced at Nick for a second before bringing her eyes back to her phone. "Just Joe." Miley could've sworn she heard gasps all around the table as she looked up and the blonde Taylor's mouth had dropped open. "What?"

"We didn't know that you and Joe were buddy buddy now." Selena commented.

"Um, we're not." Miley gulped and set her phone on the table. "He just left Demi's. I want to know what happened."

"Is that such a good idea?" Taylor asked catching on that Joe had went to see Demi. "Maybe they should keep something like that between themselves."

"Well, he can keep something like that between himself and her when he stops hurting her. Until then, it's mine and Selena's business."

Selena's eyes snapped away from David when she heard her name mentioned.

"I still can't believe you talked to him. By all means, please proceed." Nick said with a smile.

"Wait, you didn't invite him here, did you?" The way Miley averted her eyes answered Taylor's question. Taylor looked over at her boyfriend and stood up. "I think it's time for us to go."

He shook his head. "No. I don't think so."

"What? Why?"

"If we let Joe Jonas run us away from our ice cream, what else are we going to let him run us away from?"

Taylor raised her eyebrow and then sat down.

"Hey...everyone?" Joe said coming up to their table and Selena was the only one who smiled brightly at him.

* * *

><p>Hi. Review please?<p> 


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Look who's here." Miley said forcing a smile and she scooted over to make room for Joe. "Why don't you...tell us about your day?"

"Uh..." Joe glanced at Taylor before he looked back at Miley. "You didn't tell me that you were gonna be with...other people."

"I didn't think it was relevant. And it's not. Tell me what happened with you and Demi." Miley said, desperately waiting to hear what happened between him and her best friend.

"Yes, Joe. Tell us what happened with the girl you broke up with over the phone." Taylor smiled condescendingly at Joe as she crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, I mean the girl your daddy broke up with over the phone."

Joe sat down beside Miley slowly ignoring Taylor's comment. "Um, Demi and I talked. There's really nothing much to report. She's not ready to talk to me yet so our conversation was short."

"Was it?" Miley looked over at Selena as they exchanged glances. "That's all?" She asked looking back at Joe. "What was the last thing Demi said?"

"Uh," Joe looked up in the air trying to recall what Demi had said. "'I don't know if you being here is good for me right now. We'll talk, Joe. Just not now. It's too soon. Please just go.' And then I told her to call me when she was ready."

Taylor suddenly giggled out of nowhere. She looked apologetically at all of them as they looked at her except for her boyfriend who was smiling. "Sorry." Then she glared over at the other Taylor.

"Did she look okay?" Selena asked as they turned back to Joe.

"Honestly...yes. She looked amazing." Joe said and looked down at his hands with a small sideways smile on his face.

Selena's mouth dropped open slightly in surprise as she looked at Miley. "God. He's in love with her."

Miley laughed. "Oh come on! Joe Jonas falling in love? No way Selena!" She joked sarcastically.

Nick smiled and laid his hand on top of Miley's.

"Sarcasm isn't cute." Selena said.

"But it is on me. I'm cute always." Miley said.

"So true." Nick threw in.

"See?"

"Nick is totally blinded by-"

"What is going on here?"

Everybody looked over at Joe as he spoke.

"I knew about Nick and Miley but what are Selena and Miley doing together at one table and is David's hand on Selena's thigh?"

"Miley called it growing up." Taylor said. "Do any of that lately, Joe?"

"Yeah, Taylor. Have you?" Joe shot back as he squinted his eyes down at her in a glare.

"Guess what, guys?" Miley said trying to change the subject. "Did you see Nick's haircut?" She asked and pushed her fingers through his only now tiny curls. "I did it myself."

"Yes." Nick said. "My hair is all gone because of you, Selena."

"What? Why me?" Selena asked.

"She didn't have anyone else to do any beauty tips on so guess what...? I'm stuck with no hair and-"

"And a beautiful girlfriend." Miley interrupted.

Nick smiled. "There's that."

"We have to go guys." David said looking at his wristwatch and grabbing Selena's hand. "We have to be on set by 2 p.m."

"Me, too." Taylor said. "Music video set." She explained. She glared pointedly at Joe before turning her gaze to Miley. "We should do this again sometime."

Miley nodded. "Sure."

* * *

><p>Miley and Nick were walking Joe back to his car as they left the restaurant. "So, you're doing a new album?" Miley said.<p>

Joe turned to her as reached his car. "Are we really gonna do this?"

Nick leaned back on Joe's car and watched the two converse with a smile.

"This what?"

"This friend thing?"

Miley shrugged. "I don't know."

"You know, to do this friend thing you're gonna have to stop throwing digs at me."

Miley hissed through her teeth and shook her head. "I think I'll pass."

Nick and Joe laughed.

Miley put her hand out her hand to Joe as she smiled.

He took it and shook it then looked at Nick. "This girlfriend that you have here is something else."

"Something amazing." Nick countered as he stood up straight and took Miley's hand in his.

* * *

><p>Miley fell backward onto her bed. "I'm exhausted."<p>

Nick laid down beside her facing her, hovering over her. "I can't believe you leaving in less thank two weeks."

"But I'm here now." Miley said smiling up at him. She didn't want to go now. She wanted to stay here with Nick. She intertwined her fingers with his. "You want to bother room service for some powdered donuts and watch No Strings Attached?"

Nick grinned. "Do sea turtle eggs get eaten by raccoons?"

Miley laughed as Nick leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips.

* * *

><p>Demi hand brushed the phone as she once again found herself questioning whether she should call him. No matter how much she could say no in person...she still missed him...so much. She picked up the phone and put it to her ear before punching in the number that she knew by heart and waited. She just wanted to hear his voice for a little bit.<p>

* * *

><p>Joe picked up his phone when he saw it ringing on his car seat beside him. He checked the number and shrugged when he saw his screen read, 'private.' He flipped the lock screen and answered it. "Hello?" There was silence for about five seconds before Joe asked again. "Helloo?" He heard the click of the other line hang up on him and he took the phone down from his ear looking confused.<p> 


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

"You did what?" Miley asked Demi over the phone as she walked around her hotel room.

"I called Joe."

Miley sat down on the edge of her bed. "Alright. What did you say?"

"Nothing. I hung up. Several times."

Miley suddenly laughed picturing it. "Are you telling me that you called Joe and hung up without saying anything like stalkers usually do?"

"Oh no! I did!" Demi said panicking.

Miley held in her laugh to try and comfort her friend. "I'm sure it's alright, Demi. Do you think he knows it was you?" She asked as she heard a knock at her door. She stood up and shuffled her feet over to it.

"I don't know. Yes. No. He probably does! God! Why do I have to be so...obsessive?"

Miley sighed. "Demz, I'm sure it's fine. He probably doesn't even care. He probably thinks it's a random hang up call. I can assure you this is the last thing that Joe is worried about." She swung her door open and gasped. "Joe."

"Miley, what's wrong? What about Joe?" Miley distantly heard Demi's voice through the earpiece.

"You!" Joe glared at her and pointed his index finger at her accusingly. "Have you been calling me and hanging up?"

"Is that Joe?" Demi asked.

"Um, no, I haven't been doing that...Joseph." She said slowly.

Joe raised an eyebrow. "It's either you or Taylor. You are the only two who would play with my head like this. You know how badly I'm waiting on a call from Demi!"

"Oh God! He thinks it's you!" Demi said catching on to most of what Joe was yelling.

"I'm sorry, Joe. I'll...stop." Miley said slowly. "I think."

"You think?" He hissed. "Is this some kind of game to you?"

"No!" Miley shook her head while her eyes widened. "I-I-"

"Why is he yelling Miley? Is he mad?"

"Joe...give me a second for this phone call and we'll talk, okay?" She knew he wasn't just going to agree so she went back into her hotel room leaving the door open and disappeared into the bathroom. "Demi," she whispered. "Joe's really mad because I took the blame for the phone calls."

"I should've known he would be mad. God, I can't ever show my face to him and his family again, Miley. I'm so embarr-"

"Demi." Miley said harshly into the phone to get her friend's attention. "You don't get it!" She dragged a hand through her hair pushing it back, frustrated. "Joe is mad because he thinks it was me calling when he was desperately waiting on a phone call from you. He thinks... I'm trying to mess with his mind." Miley put the top to the toilet down and sat on it. "All he wants is to hear from you just like all YOU want is to hear his voice." Miley waited in silence for Demi's next response. It was a long silence on the line before she began to speak.

"Tell him it was me." Miley heard Demi sigh silently through the earpiece. "Tell him the next time that I call I'm going to be absolutely sure of what I want." Miley heard a deep and calm breath before she heard a click and then nothing. Knowing Demi had hung up, she clicked 'end' and cautiously made her way out of the bathroom. Joe had invited himself inside and was now sitting on the bed waiting on her.

Springing to a standing position as she approached him.

Miley opened her mouth to speak but Joe stopped her holding up a hand.

"You don't...have to say anything. I know."

"You know?"

He nodded then looked down at the phone in his hands. "Demi was the one calling me. God, this is so messed up!" He said frustrated, stalking away. "This is the furthest thing from what I wanted. I need my best friend back, Miley."

"Demi..." She shook her head. "She doesn't only want to be your best friend and until...she can want what you want, she can't talk to you. She said ...next time she calls you she'll know exactly what she wants."

He turned back to Miley bringing his gaze down on her. "Am I making a mistake, Miley?"

Miley just stared at Joe unsure what he was asking.

"I mean..." Joe glanced down at the floor before taking a step toward Miley. "I don't want to keep playing with her heart but...if...I love her...and she loves me...maybe it'll work."

Miley nodded finally understanding but she still didn't answer because continued to talk his on way through.

"But that's just it. 'Maybe' isn't a sure thing. I just want her there and if my love for her causes her to leave or something happens...do you know how much I've missed Demi in the last month? I barely eat anything at all and I only sleep on days when I see a video or something or hers just floating around. I don't think I could bare that again if we broke up." Next thing Joe knows is that a teary Miley wrapped her arms around him. "Miles?"

"God, I hope Nick loves me like this." She sighed into his shirt. "Those words are the only way I can think of describing what I feel for him."

"Yeah, I don't think my nerves could handle another Nick and Miley breakup." Joe wrapped his arms around Miley so it wouldn't feel so awkward. "Try getting a person that only feels with his heart to eat and on top of that, trying to get my mom to stop worrying that he'll fall over and die because he's a diabetic."

They both heard small footsteps and turned to the sound, letting go of each other. "What's going on here-Miley are you crying?" Nick rushed over to her.

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Just a little bit."

"And I was just leaving." Joe said as he headed towards the door but turned back to Miley. "Thanks."

Miley shrugged. "I haven't done anything, Joe. You were the one doing all the talking. Um..." Miley moved toward him, "Demi needs time to-"

"I know." Joe cut her off with a smile. "I have hope that things will work out the way that they should." He nodded goodbye to both of them. "Bye, guys." He turned and walked out.

Nick looked confused as his finger pointed to where Joe had just exited. "That...was weird." He said referring to seeing

"What?" Miley shrugged. "Joe and I are friends now and he just might be invited to the wedding."

Nick's gaze went straight to Miley at the words. "Wedding?"

Her eyes widened as she went straight to the bed and sat down. "Nevermind." She said before laying on her back and watched as Nick joined her and he slowly smiled.

"Miles." He said as he grabbed her hand laying on his back, too and also facing her. "Let's talk about the wedding that we're definitely eventually going to have in the future."

"Are we?" She smiled as he nodded and she lifted her head and laid it on his shoulder so that she was closely nuzzled in his neck. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well...I'm thinking Joe and Kevin can be my best men and Frankie can be the ring bearer."

"Noah will be our little flower girl. She'll look so cute."

Nick nodded in agreement. "We can have a wedding on the beach. What do you think? Small or large?"

She shrugs. "I don't really care how many people are there as long as you make it."

"Is that right?" Nick said as he hovered over hid gaze raking her body.

She nodded and lifted her hand up slowly to caress his curls on the back of his neck, bringing his head down for a kiss. "You make me feel so beautiful."

He lifted his head up and stared down at her. "You should always feel that way, Mi."

She shook her head. "Will you always be here?"

Nick laid down beside her and pulled her into his arms again. "You can already consider us an old married couple."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Joe sat his phone down on the table and just simply stared at it. She said she wouldn't call again but...he was hoping for something different. He didn't know what yet because he was still simply trying to figure out what he wanted them to be...friends or more. There was no question that he definitely wanted them to be more but could he live with the consequences there would be. If Demi and him ever broke up there could awkwardness and they'd probably never be friends again. But maybe there was something bigger than that. Maybe he just had to believe that Demi and him would stay together. Maybe it all depended on how strong his feelings were for her. He sighed and sat down at one of the chairs scattered around his center island countertop. Just then his phone rang and he took another deep breath before answering it. "Hello."

"Hey Joe. What's up?" Joe was slightly disappointed to hear his older brother's voice on the line.

"Nothing. Just sitting here Kev. What's up with you and Dani?"

"We're extremely exhausted. There's a lot that goes into making a home, you know." There was an awkward silence for a bit before Joe spoke.

"Has Dani gone to see Demi yet? I know they were really good friends."

Kevin hesitated before saying, "No. She wanted to but we just figured it'd be awkward for you."

"No." Joe protested. "All I want is for Demi to not feel like anything has changed for her, like she can still have the same friends even though things have changed just a little."

"Okay." Kevin said. "I'll let Dani know." Kevin paused. "Joe...is something up? You can talk to me."

Joe chuckled. "I know I can talk to you, Kev. There's nothing going on with me that you don't already know." He guessed there wasn't. Kevin knew he was in love with Demi. Just because he didn't tell Kevin that he had to make a decision didn't mean that Kev didn't already know. "I'm  
>gonna let you go. I'm waiting on a phone call."<p>

"Oh. Okay. Talk to you later."

"Okay...bye." Joe pushed the End button before Kevin decided to speak again on the subject. He just sat there again thinking more about the situation. He couldn't stand how Demi was feeling right now but he couldn't really change it. He might've been able to prevent it if he had been able to control his hormones around her the first time. She was just way too beautiful. Was beautiful the right word? Maybe gorgeous and sexy and he just COULDN'T control himself. What Demi and him had never told anybody was that they had lost their virginity to each other. He didn't understand how someone could be pretty, beautiful, gorgeous and sexy at the same time but Demi managed it everyday. His phone buzzed again and he immediately answered it. "Hello?"

"It's Taylor."

"Haha. Very funny. Who is it really?"

"Joe!" Taylor said. "Im not kidding."

"Oh. Well. I'm going to hang up now."

"No!" She yelled stopping him. "I just want to apologize for my behavior which I admit was a little bit childish since I am in love and what happened in the past shouldn't matter-"

"But it does." Joe interrupted her.

There was a small silence over the line.

"What is it?" Joe asked and wondered if he would regret posing his next question. "Do you need to talk?"

"Joe, Demi and I were in no way close."

"Demi?" She was talking to him about Demi. "No. You definitely weren't."

"Demi and I weren't close but I'm sure that I speak for both of us when I say that what you do to girls is just heartbreaking."

"I like you Taylor. I really do. And don't assume that what I'm about to do changes that." Joe pushed the hangup button on his phone and sighed, laying his forehead down on the counter beside the phone almost giving up hope when it started to ring again. Great, he thought, another one of the many people he didn't want to talk to. "Hello?" Joe hesitated when there wasn't a voice coming from the other end of the line. "Demi?"

"Joe. I know I promised I wouldn't call again-"

"No." He interrupted her broken up voice. "I'm glad you broke your promise."

He patiently waited for her to speak again. "When you came and saw me you told me that I never tell you my real feelings so here goes." He heard her take a breath on the other end of the line. "When we broke up I wasn't okay with it and Im not okay with you and Ashley-"

"But-"

"Let me finish Joe." He stayed silent. "I am so much in love with you that I would call what I have an obsession. I thought you felt the same way. I just wanted what we had to be real and I wanted you to want me more than any of those other girls but I realize-"

"Demi." He interrupted her again because he couldn't take anymore of the words she was saying. "I love you. I've always loved you and I will always love you. The biggest mistake of my life was ever leaving you or thinking that we could be just friends. You're extremely wrong about me and that may be my fault because I didn't make myself clear. We didn't break up because I didn't want you. We broke up because I was scared of losing you-" Joe stopped talking when he heard her deep and heart-wrenching sobs in his ear. What did that mean? "Demi..."

"Goodbye Joe."

"No wait Demi." Click. He sighed and ended the call.

Demi's POV

What was wrong with her? Joe had just said all the words she hoped he would say to her. He thought she was beautiful and he loved her and he always did but she had hung up on him. She just couldn't deal with making that kind of decision right now. So he would just have to wait. She had two months left here. Two months. She hoped she could wait that long because she needed time.

2 months later~~~

Miley's POV

Miley walked out of her dressing room ready to hop the plane back to L.A. right now. She missed Nick like crazy. They had just finished the last day of production and she hated to admit it but Ashley and her had actually become friends while she was there. "Hey." She said stepping off the last step to a waiting Ashley.

"I guess this it." She shrugged smiling at Miley.

"Unless they cast us in another movie together." Miley bit her lip nervously. "Look Ashley I'm really sorry about all the awkwardness at the beginning of the movie. Demi's my friend-"

"I know. It's alright. You're pretty cool though and if they cast us in another movie again I'd happily take the part."

"Me too." Miley's phone started ringing and she immediately took it out of her pocket. "Sorry about this. I'm waiting on a call from my boyfriend."

"You're still dating Liam, then?"

"God, no!" Miley shook her head and then realized something. She never told anyone but the family she was dating Nick. "I'm, uh-"

Ashley half smiled knowingly. "Don't worry. I know all about secret relationships. It's okay. We'll talk soon, okay?"

Miley nodded as Ashley made her away from the set. Then she picked up the phone and smiled. "Hey."

"I really missed your voice."

Miley laughed. "Nick, we talked last night. You are the first one who was snoring though."

"I don't snore."

"Oh please. It's really adorable though so I can't complain."

"I can't wait to see you again right here in person in front of me."

"Well, just give me a few hours and you won't have to wait anymore." Miley smiled but then she heard someone giggle over the phone. "Who was that?"

"Who was what?"

"Nick..." Miley said impatiently. "Who the hell is there with you?"

"Miley calm down. It's just a friend."

"A friend like who?"

Nick sighed. "Samantha."  
>f<br>Miley didn't hesitate to hang up the phone. "ARGGGGHHH!" She yelled and threw her phone on the ground before stomping on it.

"Oh no." Ashley crossed her arms as she stepped up behind Miley. "You must be dating a Jonas."  
>_<p> 


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Demi's POV

"Hey mama." Demi wrapped her arms around her mom at the door. "It's so nice to see you again."

"There's my beautiful baby. How are you feeling?"

"I feel great. I feel healthy." Demi watched as two guys came in for her bags. "I feel sane. It's actually really nice here. I didn't want to leave but I have to get back to the real world."

Her mom only smiled at her comfortingly. "That's great and plus anytime you want to get away from it all you just tell me."

"Okay, mom. There's actually somewhere I wanna go before we head home."

Nick's POV

"Dammit!"

"Nick, don't freak out. Im sure she'll be fine." Samantha put her hand on his shoulder. "Your girlfriend has got a really bad temper."

Nick glared at her and she backed down from her statement. No one was allowed to say anything about Miley. "I have to go Samantha. We'll get together some other time maybe."

"Oh come on. Miley won't be home for hours. You can at least stay for the movie we were about to watch." Samantha took ahold of his wrist stopping him.

"No." Nick took his wrist back. "She might call back and no offense, I just wanna talk to her so I'll see you later." Nick walked out and cursed himself.

Demi's POV

Demi knocked frantically on the door of the person she could no longer wait to talk to until it swung open and he stood there.

"Demi?"


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Joe's POV

Although he doubted she had wanted to see him he wouldn't dare ask her what she was doing on his doorstep.

"Can I come in?" She asked.

Joe cautiously took her hand and led her in before shutting the door. "You look... amazing."

"Joe...we need to talk."

"I know-"

"I don't think that you do." Demi bravely put her hand on his shoulder. "We should sit."

Joe got his first deep gaze into her eyes and felt what was going on and he shook his head adamantly. "Demi, don't do this. You don't have to do this."

"I wanna just be friends, Joe. I've done a lot of thinking in this treatment center. And I know you were right in the first place. We don't wanna lose what we have as friends. We shouldn't ruin that by being something we're not."

Joe glanced down at the floor unsure what was going on but he didn't want to push her away again. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay." Joe smiled over at her. "But I want you to know that it isn't what I want, to be just friends with you, but I'll do it because I don't want to lose you and this way I'll get to be with you and convince you that we belong together."

Demi started to shake her head but Joe just smiled. "Friends?"

"Friends." He agreed but took her hands in his and pulled her to the living room. "Our first act as friends should be movie night as our usual Tuesday night ritual suggests we do."

Demi giggled as as she was dragged along caught up in Joe's wild mood. "Wait, Joe. My moms waiting outside."

"Call her. Tell her you're staying."

"I'm not gonna call my mom from inside the house. Let's just go out there and tell her." Demi turned and headed toward the door and when she got there she realized Joe hadn't followed her. "Joseph Adam Jonas, get your butt in here."

He slowly peeked his head around the corner with an innocent grin plastered on his face. "Soooo...I may be a little scared of your mom."

Demi laughed a little. "Would you come on?"

He slightly shook his head no.

"No offense but is this how you're planning to 'show me we belong together'? By being scared of my mom?"

"Well not just her. Your dad too."

"Joe."

He came from behind the wall and stood in front of her. "Okay." He opened the door and stepped out of the house. He began walking towards the car with Demi. He stood on the passenger side and smiled at Mrs. De La Garza as he came up beside her. "Hey."

"Hey Joseph." She smiled up at him. "So what's going on here?"

"Everything's fine here, mom." Demi stepped in. "I'm going to stay here with Joe for tonight."

"You're spending the night?" Her mom raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"I'm eighteen mom."

"That's not what I asked young lady."

Joe was about to step back when Demi took ahold of his arm.

"Yes ma'am I will be."

"Have fun baby."

"I will."

Nick's POV

Nick continued to call Miley's phone and got tired of it going straight to voicemail so he stopped. I guess it was plan b time, show up at her hotel and wait.

Twenty minutes later Nick was on the elevator up to her room being told by the clerk that Miley had already checked in.

Miley's POV

She was curled up in her sheets doing nothing but watching her guest watch tv when there was a knock on the door. "I've got it." She said before shuffling over to the door in her houseshoes and opening it. "Oh. It's you." She didn't say it condescendingly more like surprised. If anything she had missed him. "Come in."

Nick stepped in the door slowly. "Really? The first day you're back and you're lazing around the hotel room doing nothing but watching tv because you're mad at me for spending time with my friend?"

"Nick." Miley's eyes widened. "I have company. And I would have gone to find you except I didn't know how long you were gonna be with your little British princess Samantha Barks."

"Oh, you could've called. So who are you trying to make me jealous with this time?" Nick tried to peek around the corner. "I swear to God, it had better not be Liam Hemsworth." Nick turned away from her and stomped into the living room of her suite.

"First of all, I broke my phone because you pissed me off! And you're not my father. I can have whoever I want in my room at anytime that I want."

Nick stopped at the side of the couch and looked down at the girl who was looking up at him. "Ashley."

"What, do you guys need this couch because you're gonna have make-up sex now?" She glanced over at Miley who gave her the 'no way in hell' facial expression so Ashley turned back to the tv.

Nick turned back to Miley and just stared at her. "I'm gonna go."

Miley didn't want him to go. She wanted him to stay and for them to talk about their latest misunderstanding but Miley being Miley couldn't help her one last scathing retort. "Gotta get back to your precious Samantha?"

Nick's head snapped up. "Let's get one thing straight. You're mine, Miley. No one else but you. And of course I'm going to be insistent that Liam or any guy not come to your room. It's not that I'm trying to be your father. It's because I love you." He brushed pass her and left the hotel room.

Ashley smirked at Miley. "Wow. True love at such a young age. How does it feel?"

"It sucks."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Miley's POV

"Nick," Miley sighed laying back on her bed with her cell phone pressed to her ear, "I really don't know where we stand right now. I don't know anything except...that I miss you. I'm sorry I'm such a temperamental jealous idiot. It's not that I don't trust you. I do. It's just that... the world is full of heartbreak. No one ever stays with anyone. I'm just so scared that you'll leave me." She could feel the tears coming to her eyes. "Please don't leave me."

"Miley."

She screamed as her gaze snapped to the door of her bedroom to her intruder then she took she a deep breath relaxing and talked back into the phone. "So um, anyways ignore the scream... and this message because you're here. Bye." She hurriedly hung up the phone and stood up. "Nick. How long have you been standing there?"

"Sit down, Miles." He said coming closer.

She slowly sat down, unsure.

He sat down beside her and Miley's heart soared when he took her hand in his and intertwined their fingers. "Miley... I heard everything." She nodded understanding. "Listen to me. I am not your father. I won't leave you. You don't have to be afraid of that. I don't want you to constantly just be waiting for that to happen. You can't live your life like that. You don't think that I fear that too? You have just as much right to walk away as I do. I have just as many girls in my life as you have guys in yours. But I believe in us. In our love. In the way that we feel about each other. Sure. We're young. We have a lot more years to get jealous and fight and maybe test our relationship so much but as long as we're still fighting, it shows we still care. I'll never stop, okay?"

Miley wiped the tears that his words procured. "Just because people love you doesn't mean they won't leave."

"I won't leave. As long as you love me and trust me, Mi, I'll be right here. I swear it. Now stand up and go wash your face because we're going out." Nick helped Miley stand up.

"We are?"

"Yes." He said guiding her to the bathroom. "Theres a friend of ours that's been avoiding us."

"Oh. That's right. Are we going to her house?"

"Not exactly."

* * *

><p>"Ha. Demi's here?" Miley shook her head in disbelief. "You must be mistaken."<p>

Nick shook his head and rung Joe's doorbell. "What's so unbelievable about this? She's still in love with him, right?"

"You don't think they're-" Miley was cut off as the door opened before them to a smiling Joe.

"Hey guys."

"It's possible." Nick said to answer Miley's unasked question.

"What's possible?"

"Joe?" Miley asked. "Can I talk to Demi right now?" She ended the question with her words clipped which concluded she obviously meant business.

Joe stepped back for them to enter. "She's in the living room."

Miley went that way and Nick followed her. They found Demi laying on the couch in Joe's pajamas watching Spongebob.

"I think she's starting to become Joe." Nick commented.

Miley almost covered her ears from the words then Demi looked up at them and smiled. "Miley!" She got up and came around the couch holding her arms out as she embraced Miley. She looked over Miley's shoulder at both the guys. "Nick, it's nice to see you again but do you guys think Miley and I could have a minute?"

"Of course. Nice to see you Demi. You look amazing." Nick followed Joe out of the living room.

Miley pulled back from Demi and looked at her appearance once again. "So we're back to Demi and Joe, huh?"

"I know what you're thinking MOM but the doctor said that if I took my pills on schedule that I could have as normal a life as anybody else's. Don't worry. I'm being careful. My emotions aren't getting overwrought. I'm fine." Demi smiled over at Miley. "And Joe and I are just friends."

"Tell me the truth. Do you still have feelings for him?"

Demi silently nodded.

Miley grabbed her hands and sighed. "I want to do what's best for you, Demi but I can't protect you all the time. Just tell me what you want me to do."

Demi looked down at the floor as Miley's grip on her hands tightened. "Just be there, MC."

"Okay. Nick and I will see you later. Call me if you need anything." Miley grinned over at her. "And I mean ANYTHING. If you kill Joe and need help disposing of the body I'm here like that." Miley snapped her fingers playfully as Demi giggled.

"Sure thing babe."

"Nick." Miley called raising her voice a tad. "I'm ready to go."

* * *

><p>Selena's POV<p>

"She what?" Selena couldn't believe what Miley was telling her. Demi and Joe. Reunited. Just great. "They're having a freaking sleepover? So everything is peachy in Jemiland?" David put his hands on her shoulders to calm her which ultimately did and she sighed. "Fine. Whatever. It is her life." There was a pause before Selena spoke again. "No. You're right. I wouldn't just give up on the person I love." She smiled up at David as Miley spoke in her ear. "Okay. Bye Milez." She hung up the phone and turned into David's arms. "True love prevails again babe."

He leans down and kisses her nose making Selena smile once again. "As it always should."

"If this relationship is what Demi wants then I'll fight tooth and nail for it. So the media better watch out because I made the mistake of not being there for her the first time. I'm going to be there for her this time." Selena looked up at David. "And since Wizards is over, are you going to be there for me?"

David's smile faded. "Of course. We'll just have to... plan some things."

"My mom said I could take a little break so I can be free whenever you want me to be cause I know... you still have to work." She grabbed his hand and lead him over to her dressing room couch. She pushed him to sit down and then plopped herself on his lap. "But that's not starting right now so... you can be here for me for now." Even though Selena put on a wide grin on the outside, she was anything but grinning on the inside.

* * *

><p>Taylor's POV<p>

Taylor swung her blonde curls to the side as she straddled her boyfriend's hips on the bed. "Apparently we are the sanest couple ever."

He promptly flipped her over and placed his hands on either side of her face. "I'm not too heavy, am I?"

"Not at all." She smiled and lifted her hand up to cup his cheek, biting her lip. "What do you want to do right now?"

He smirked and leaned down pressing his lips against hers and trailing his hands gently up her bare side making her inhale. "I'll think of something."

* * *

><p><em><strong>This is super late but I will start writing it again with even longer chapters. Some personal things were going on with me in my family. But I will continue to write this story because I love it and I love writing it. I think I'm going to bring more Jemi drama into it. -Carrie<strong>_


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

Three months later  
>Miley wrapped her arms around Joe's neck as she jumped on his back and swung her legs around his waist. "Giddyup horsey. Take me to the king."<p>

"Mileyyyy, you're getting heavy. This is not like it was when you were fourteen."

Miley sent Demi her pouty face across the room but Demi was hardly paying attention to them. "Demiiii," she whined, "handle your boyfriend."

Demi's gaze slowly went to them. "What."

"Miley's implying that we're dating Dems," Joe fixed his eyes on her questioningly, "what's up with you?"

Demi's gaze went back down to the problem in front of her, her full plate of food. "Nothing. Im just tired."

Miley slid down from Joe's back and went over to the couch, sitting herself down next to Demi. "Okay honey bunny." She raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. "Do you want to go upstairs and take a small nap?" Miley gave her a slight wink so that Nick and Joe couldn't see it.

"Maybe a small one." She nodded and dropped the fork on her plate standing up alongside Miley. Miley put one arm around her shoulder and guided her up Joe's staircase.

"I know this is hard for you sweetie. I know that being in that treatment center didn't heal you all the way." Miley looked over at Demi and pursed her lips. "But if Joe is your best friend you're going to have to start talking to him about these things. You don't have to avoid it. He's trying to prove himself and basically if he can't handle it then he's not right for you."

"I know, Miles. It's just..." Demi sighed. "I get so nervous and tongue tied around him."

"He thinks you walk on the moon though." Miley rolled her eyes a little. "You know I hate to admit this but I've been around Joe these past few months and I've seen a real change in him." She said as they turned into Joe's room. "It's nothing but Demi, Demi, Demi with him so loosen up sweetie. I could be wrong but I bet you could tell that boy just about anything."

Demi sat down on the bed and gave Miley a small smile. "Alright. Thanks Miles." Miley sat down next to her and gave her a quick hug.

"So should we stay up here or go back down."

"Maybe we should wait a few."

"Why?"

"We're in Joe's room so I'm gonna take advantage of it."

Miley chuckled and joined Demi at the drawers.

* * *

><p>"So... you know how I've been planning to get my own place, away from the folks and everything?" Nick asked, looking over at Joe.<p>

Joe nodded and turned his gaze from the floor to Nick. "Yeah, I guess."

"I've been thinking... what if I asked Miley to move in with me...?"

Joe shook his head quickly and put his hand up. "No. Nononono. No."

"What's wrong with that? I've been trying to show her a reason to trust me, to trust that Im not going anywhere."

"Nick, you always get in too deep with this relationship. What if Miley's not the one?"

"What if Donald Trump started parking cars? Since when did we start asking ridiculous questions. Of course Miley's the one." Nick crossed his legs and arms staring directly at his brother. "That's not even a real objection, Joe. You could've at least tried harder."

"Okay, picture this. You're thirty. You hit your midlife crisis or whatever and then Miley's face starts looking like old news. You want to move on to the next thing. Keep in mind, this is thirty year old Miley. And then someone like Selena is single by then and she starts looking really... new."

Nick held his hand up to stop Joe. "Is this dumb story gonna go on for much longer?"

"Why don't you ever listen to me? You and Miley always break up. Something's got to be wrong there."

"Why did I even ask you?" Nick stood up and walked around the couch still looking at Joe. "Whatever happened to 'you and her keep finding each other so you obviously belong together'?"

"I don't know, maybe I felt differently about love three months ago."

Nick sighed and sat on the table next to Joe's seat on the couch. "Joe, Demi will come around. You've just got to wait. Don't mess this up."

"I'm trying. I've been trying for three months."

"Well maybe you should try harder."

* * *

><p>The next day Demi, Miley, Selena and Taylor were all shopping together and Miley had her arm slung over Demi's shoulder. She was busy trying to clear Demi's mind of all her problems. "Oh my God, Demi. This jacket is so hot. It's so you." She let go of Demi and grabbed onto the spiky jacket and turned to Demi. "Try it on. Now."<p>

Demi smiled. "I actually do like that one." She took the jacket from Miley and swung it onto her shoulders, posing in the mirror in front of her. "What do you think?"

Taylor nodded in appreciation. "Hot, girl."

"I think..." Selena came up behind Demi and put both of her hands on each one of her shoulders and smiling at her in the mirror's reflection, "it's perfect for when we go out this weekend. Wear that black dress you bought earlier and we've got ourselves a winner."

Demi turned to them in one quick movement. "We're going out this weekend? Where?"

"Joe thinks we should go for a quiet night out at the movies and I kinda like the idea of being in a dark theatre with Nick if you know what I mean." She winked at the girls and they all chuckled.

"That was subtle, Miles." Selena sat down on one of the comfy chairs by the heel section and they all followed suit.

"Hey guys, can I tell you something?" Demi whispered.

"Always." Miley said, keeping one eye on a cute pair of heels while still listening to her best friend.

"It's been three months and no girls and I think maybe Im ready to you know, take that next step with Joe." She said nervously fiddling with her fingers. "Maybe he's ready to stop messing around and be in a serious relationship."

"Maybe..." Taylor trailed off unsure of how to answer that.

"What do you really think?" Demi knew what Taylor thought of Joe but she still wanted to hear her opinion.

"Im absolutely not sure, Demi. Joe showed me that I didn't know him as much as I thought I did."

"I think it's a great idea." Selena said smiling super wide and scooting her chair closer to Demi. Miley and Taylor exchanged looks before looking at Selena confused.

"You do?" Demi tilted her head to the side, gazing at her friend.

"Joe has tried so hard for three months straight. Do you really expect him to wait forever? What kind of friend would you be if you mistreated HIS feelings like that? Plus, he loves you and you love him." Selena stared into Demi's eyes getting her point across. "Have faith. Also, life has disappointments and we'll get through those together too."

"True." Miley said, nodding in agreement.

"Okay, it's settled then." She sent them a small smile. "I'll tell Joe this weekend."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

Miley hurriedly picked her ringing phone up and answered it. "Hey."

"Hey Miles, I'm coming up." Nick spoke in a soft voice as he entered the elevator to her floor.

"Okay, good. I missed you." Miley hung up and threw her phone back onto the side table and she sat up and rushed to the door to open it to find Nick there. "That was quick."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her to him. "I ran. Impatient, you know me." He gazed down at her. "We should talk."

"Oh."

"Don't get any ideas, Miley, ok. I said I wasn't going anywhere."

She let go of him and quickly checked the hallway and then closed the door. "What's this about?"

"Lets sit down." He grabbed both of her hands and pulled her to the couch, sitting her down. "Miley, I found a really nice place in L.A. It's really nice and I want you to come see it with me."

Miley sighed in relief. "Is that what this is about? You scared the living shit out of me, Nick." She whacked him on his shoulders. "Next time don't be so intense, buddy."

"I told you not to be scared and Im not finished."

She just lifted her eyebrow and waited on him to finish.

"I want you to live with me."

Miley's mouth dropped open slightly but she said nothing.

"Miley?"

"Absolutely not, Nicholas." She shook her head roughly. Had he completely lost his mind? They had only been dating straight for a complete six months. What if something went wrong?

"And the reason is...?"

"I don't need a reason. You should already know. This isn't practical."

"Screw practical. I love you and you love me and I want to just wake up beside you every morning." He was still holding onto her hands and staring deep into her blue eyes.

"You feel that way now but things could change. Things always change, Nick."

"Not this again, Miley. Geez, you and Joe are so much alike." He snapped back at her. "Why don't you two let go once in awhile and stop thinking?"

"We're too busy thinking with our brains instead of our hearts." Miley stood and walked around the couch still looking at Nick, angrily.

"Oh yeah? And how's that working out for you so far? Are you happy?" He followed her steps.

"Nick, stop." He was starting to hit a little too close to home and she didn't like it one bit. "This is how it always goes. You always get your freaking way after you make me feel one thousand times worse for feeling differently about things than you do."

"I wasn't gonna-" He gave up on what he was going to say and stepped closer to her wrapping his arms around her and placing his chin on top of her shoulder. "Miley, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Miley was breathing slightly fast from the encounter with Nick when he hit her with one last blow.

"But sometimes it just feels like you don't believe in this relationship as much as I do. Maybe I was just mistaken."

Miley sat there with her body squeezed against Nick's thinking about that and maybe he was right. She didn't feel like she believed in this relationship at all. What was the point really when it was all going to change anyway.

* * *

><p>"Hey guys," Demi waved at them with a big smile as she approached the group outside the theatre. "I guess Im the last one to arrive. Im sorry. Im not late am I?"<p>

"You're just on time." Joe wrapped his arms around her in a hug and pulled back. "And actually you're not the last one to arrive."

"I'm not?" Demi looked at the other six people standing next to them and Miley shrugged. Oh no, she had a really bad feeling about this and it seemed like her stomach was already a few steps ahead of her because it was already churning.

"No. I bought a date. I hope that's already."

"Say what?" Miley stepped forward intending to do damage and Demi stopped her with one look.

"No, that's fine. I'll be the ninth wheel but what's new?"

"You're not the ninth wheel, Demz. If anything that's Taylor."

Taylor immediately jumped and Lautner held her back. "Joe Jonas, walk away or in thirty seconds I'll show you how redneck I can get."

"Yeah because scenes are your thing. Fine, I'll just go find Blanda then."

"Hey Joe, one thing before you go." Selena held up one of her fingers in gesture.

"Yes Selena." He snapped. "Thats her real name."

"Okay, bye bye." As Joe walked away, she pulled Demi in closer to her and Miley and Taylor leaned in too. "Minor setback but you can't really be worried about this, Demi. Her name is Bandana or sumthin."

Taylor chuckled and Demi rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter what her name is. If he can't keep his eyes on one thing then what's the point. He changes girlfriends like he changes water bottles. Im not gonna be one of them."

Miley frowned at the familiar 'what's the point' phrase and glanced back at Nick having a conversation with David and Lautner. "Demi, you have to do what I tell you, okay?"

Demi shrugged. "You haven't steered me wrong so far."

"Good. Lets start with this." Miley snatched Demi's shirt down a little so that it showed more cleavage.

"What are you doing?!" Demi gasped and covered her breast as Selena and Taylor stood there with their mouths open.

"You're gonna have to show Joe that you own him right in front his Banana or Bandana or whatever it was."

Demi laughed lightly and shook her head. "I don't own Joe."

Miley sighed and turned to where Joe was standing at the door and yelled to him. "Hey Joseph!"

He rolled his eyes and looked over at her, yelling back. "What?!"

"Demi would like some pre show ice cream."

His eyes widened. "Oh. Be right back. Watch for Blanda. She said she'll be wearing a blue vest." He rushed out the door in a hurry.

"And that's how much you own Joe."

"Oh my god..." Selena tilted her head and watched Joe race to his car. "He knows there's an ice cream place right next to the theatre right?"

"He actually raced out of here..." Taylor trailed off stunned.

Miley raised her eyebrows. "Are you all stupid?" She pointed her thumb over her shoulder at the boys. "I could make any one of them do that for any of us but lets get back to Demi."

Demi was busy looking down at her shirt and she smiled up at Miley. "You're right." She pulled her shirt back down and shook her blonde curly hair out. "Now girls Im not normally a bitch but the things you have to do for love..." She pushed past them and walked straight toward a girl with a blue vest on and held her hand out. "Hi, you must be Bandana."

"What?"

"Oh, " Demi fake laughed and hit herself upside the head. "I apologize. My friends and I were just talking about how TACKY bandanas are and I got it mixed up with your name. What is it again?"

"Blanda..." she slowly took Demi's hand and shook it. "You're Demi right?"

"Yes, I am."

"I read about you in the tabloids. Tough break. I hope you're feeling better. I hope you're not... popping pills again." She whispered the last part as if it was some big secret.

Demi gave her a another fake laugh and squeezed Blanda's hand tight. "I was never popping pills. I mean, come on, it's not like my name is Blanda or anything." Demi turned her smile to Joe who was coming through the door as Blanda glared at her. "Hey, thanks for running straight out and getting this for me." She took the ice cream from him. "But I thought about it and I don't wanna ruin my nachos so..." she dropped the ice cream in the trash can, "your friends super nice though. I can see why you like her." She blew Joe a kiss, "I'll see you inside."

"I'll... see you..." he stood back and watched as Demi brushed past him purposefully into the movie.

Miley and the girls high fived silently behind him and Blanda and followed Demi in.

"I think that girls falling back into her bad habits..." Blanda shook her head slowly.

Joe glanced at her and sighed.

"What?"

"Don't do that."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty Three

"Hey Joe," Demi waved at him and patted the seat beside her, "I saved some seats for you and Blanda."

"Really?" Joe slowly slid into the row looking around like he was checking the seats for any booby traps.

"Of course I did, silly. You're my friend, duh. I want you guys to have a great experience on your first date."

"I bet you do." Blanda replied as Joe sat down next to me, frowning.

Nick stopped next to them with Miley beside him. "You... guys are going to sit next to each other?"

"Um yes," Miley interjected and grabbed his arm, "you act like this is something new. Come on." She dragged Nick closer to the front not looking back.

Demi crossed one leg over the other and tilted herself thirty degrees over toward Joe to whisper to him. "I heard this movie is really good. I think we're gonna have some fun." She winked at him and as soon as she did that the lights went down and the previews started to play.

Joe found himself leaning a little bit toward Demi glancing down at her bare legs. "Oh really?"

She leaned closer so that her chin was resting on his shoulder. "Uh huh. Also cuz I took my panties off earlier." Demi went back over to her side as she saw Joe's expression change into one of shock as he looked over at her. She uncrossed her legs and spread them slightly. Joe's gaze never left her. She grasped his hand and slowly slid it over her short skirt down in between her thighs. She bought her other hand up to his face and turned it to the screen but Joe glanced at Blanda who was giggling at some preview then turned his head back to a softly moaning Demi.

Since Demi had started this, Joe wasn't gonna say no. He was actually going to take it to another level and moved his hand further up her thigh to graze her center and he saw Demi bite her lip hard. But she guided his hand to continue what he was doing and Joe did. He then leaned over and put his mouth to her her ear. "We should not be doing this here."

Demi sighed and pulled his arm away from her and she moved one seat over.

Joe glared over at her and stood up.

Blanda grabbed his arm and looked up at him. "Where are you going? The movie's about to start."

"I have to... go to the bathroom."

Demi groaned inwardly as Joe walked around Blanda and down the aisle. She locked gazes with Miley who was looking at her pointedly and then Miley crooked her finger toward the direction that Joe just went. She shook her head no rapidly. Was Miley not getting the hint? Joe wanted to move on.

Miley mouthed "now" to her and Demi sighed as she stood up knowing she wouldn't get any peace if she didn't go. She slid out of the row and walked out of theatre three making her way to the bathrooms. She stopped outside the men's bathroom and leaned against the wall waiting.

Joe stepped out moments later and without hesitation he pulled her back in.

"Joe!" She exclaimed as he pressed her against the wall and rested his arm above her head, leaning over her.

"Demi just don't talk. Do you even know what you're doing?" He  
>brought his hand up to cup her cheek and pulled her mouth to his roughly intensely molding their lips together.<p>

Her breath became uneven as Joe dragged his lips down her neck nibbling and leaving love bites. Propped against the wall by Joe she threw her legs around his waist and his arms went to down to hold her up as he flipped them around and he carried her into a stall, kicking the door closed.

_

"Hmm. Joe and Demi are gone." Nick twists his head, from looking behind him where his brother was just sitting, to where Miley was and she just popped a mike and Ike into her mouth and shrugged. "Is everything okay, Miley?"

"Just thinking." She stared straight ahead at the screen as the previews played.

"About what?"

"About what the answer to this trivia question is." She nodded her head up to the screen still popping mike and Ike's into her mouth and Nick placed his hand on top of hers on the box.

"Miley, lets talk."

"About what?" Miley glanced down at his hand on top of her box of Mike and Ike's. "Im not sharing."

Nick sighed, looking over at her. "About what we talked about yesterday. Us moving in together."

"You really wanna get into a fight before the movie even starts? Can't we just have fun like David and Selena are having?" She waved her arm toward her two friends and glanced over at them to see David sticking his tongue down Selena's throat. "Well, not exactly as much fun as them."

"Why does there have to be a fight?" Nick said, ignoring the comment about David and Selena.

"Because you won't take no for an answer."

Nick stared over at her for a moment. "I don't want to ask you to move in with me again."

"You don't?" She watched as Nick shook his head slowly. "Then what is this about?"

"It's about our talk this morning." Nick continued to hold on to her hands as he stared into her eyes. "You and I both know how much I know you by now, Miley. And earlier when we were talking about... what we were talking about and I said maybe I was the only one who believed in this relationship... you stiffened up. And now Im thinking maybe that's true, I don't know."

Miley's gaze went down to her lap for a second then back up to Nick. "You're asking me if I believe in this relationship?"

He slowly nodded and said, "Just tell me the truth and if you do we won't ever have to come onto this subject ever again."

"Well I..." Miley looked directly over at him and her gaze fell back to her lap as she let out a long held in breath, "I don't."

"You... don't?" This time it was Nick who stiffened up as his forehead wrinkled and he let go of her hands.

"No, I don't Nick. You asked for the truth and Im giving it to you."

Nick said nothing else and he turned away from Miley to face the screen as the movie started.

**_**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Four**

Joe and Demi walked out of the theatre beside each other and the rest of the guys were following while Blanda hurriedly caught up with them, standing on the other side of Joe.

She sent a little flirty grin up to Joe as she intertwined their elbows, "Drive me home?"

"Uh, sure." Joe glanced over at Demi who shrugged over at him and kept her gaze toward the ground. "Demi's coming with us though. She needs a ...ride."

Blanda sent a small glare Demi's way while Joe's head was turned toward her. "Cool, I guess."

"Hey," Selena called from behind them as she rushed over towards Demi and wrapped her arms around her, "I'll call you tomorrow, okay."

Demi nodded as she returned the hug. "Love you. Bye." She pulled back and slid into the front seat of Joe's car as he held it open, completely ignoring Blanda.

She got into the back seat with a roll of her eyes at Demi again. "Are you dropping Demi off first?"

"Uhm no," Joe said from the driver seat, "the thing is, Demi isn't going home just yet."

Demi glanced over at Joe finally looking him in the eyes since their encounter in the bathroom of the theatre. They just gazed at each for a moment as Joe started the car up before their gazes were finally broken by Blanda in the back. Demi slowly shook her head at Blanda's cough and slid her seat belt on as they pulled off.

* * *

><p>Miley and Nick entered the hotel together and Miley could tell that he wasn't in the mood to talk. What was she gonna do about it though? She couldn't help it that she was the sensible one in the relationship this time around.<p>

The point isn't if Miley wanted to live with Nick or not. If that was it then they would already be in a house together with the doors locked, cuddling and talking about their future kids. That's really all she wanted. But at the same time, she couldn't have it. She had to be realistic. She turned to Nick as they entered the elevator and spoke up, "Are you gonna break up with me?"

Nick held up a hand to halt her speech, "Miley." He shook his head with his eyes completely closed. "Please just don't. Not right now."

Of course he was going to break up with her. What did she expect? What she was wrong to him but for her, it's her reality. The elevator opened up to her floor and Nick stepped out beside her, walking with her slowly down the hall to her room. She slid her hotel key into the lock and opened her door up, putting the key back into her purse.

Nick pushed the door open wide, stalking inside of the room and straight to the bedroom leaving Miley with her eyebrow raised as she followed him, shutting the door behind her.

She walking into the bedroom to be confronted with a fuming Nick who pacing back and forth across the carpet. "Nick?"

"I don't get you." He immediately ranted off at her. "I've literally already named our children in my mind and I've seen where we grow old together and why do you not believe that I'm in this. Im in this for the long haul, Miley. Why aren't you?"

"I don't wanna fight." She said quietly, glancing over at him from underneath her eyelids.

"We're going to fight. It's what we do."

"Do you know what we also do? We break up. I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna lose you right now." Miley walked over to Nick, standing in front of him and shaking her head to stop herself from sobbing.

Nick looked down at her "Then why do you keep sabotaging us?"

* * *

><p>Miley sat up in bed, pushing herself up on her arms as she looked over at Nick. She hasn't been to sleep yet and neither had Nick. He was just laying on his side, facing away from her. "Nick."<p>

She heard a long breath come out of his mouth before he answered her. "Yeah?"

"I can't sleep like this."

"Like what?"

"Like... look at me, Nick." She was getting frustrated talking to the back of him.

Nick sat up beside her and looked over at her.

"Forgive me, okay. I love you and I trust you and if you say this can work, I will believe you."

Nick slid his fingers into hers and lowered his gaze to her hand, not looking at her eyes. "Miley, you don't have to believe that we'll work. I'm not trying to force you to do that. You have your reasons and I'm sorry for being mad at you in the first place." He gathered himself and let his eyes rest on hers, squeezing her fingers as he looked at her. "I'm just mad at myself now. I'm failing at whatever it is that makes you trust in a relationship."

"It's not you, Nick." Miley clasped his hands tight as she leaned closer to him planting a small kiss to his cheek. "I love you and I trust you, I promise. I just don't trust what could happen."

"So you're not putting your whole heart into it and I feel like I don't have any of your heart sometimes."

"Don't be stupid. You have all of my heart all of the time." Miley was starting to notice what a hypocrite she sounded like.

"Just take a risk on us, Mi. I know that we haven't been so steady in the past and I know I can sometimes be a real disappointment but I think I've been getting better at disappointing you less. And maybe, just maybe I'm worth a little bit of a risk." Nick gave her a little bitty hopeful smile.

Miley tilted her head to the side as she gazed over at him. "Wow. You're right. You're worth the biggest risk in the world. You're so cute." She placed her hands on his cheeks and pressed her lips against his before pulling back and looking over at him with a grin. "I will think about moving in with you, okay."

"That's all I ask. I love you so much."

"I love you much more."

* * *

><p>The next day Miley called Selena after she couldn't get ahold of Demi and asked to meet her somewhere. Selena picked her house for them to meet up and Miley showed up there thirty minutes later.<p>

"Hey... what's wrong?" Selena asked warily as she shut the door behind Miley as she entered. "You sounded, I don't know, weird... on the phone."

"Am I crazy, Selena?" Miley twirled around, not getting very far in the house before she turned back looking directly at Selena with a certain gleam in her eye.

"Not... so far." Selena slowly took small steps back towards the door. "What's up?"

"I am seriously considering moving in with Nick Jonas."

Selena breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to walk around Miley to the kitchen. "What is so crazy about that? He's your boyfriend. You love him and he definitely loves you." Selena started walking towards the refrigerator and opened it up, leaning down to look inside before she turned back to Miley with a smile. "Wait. Nick asked you to move in with him?"

Miley nodded as she pushed herself up onto a stool at Selena's countertop.

"I don't know what to be surprised about first, you telling me first and not Demi or the fact that all your stuff isn't in his house yet?" Selena grabbed two sodas and bought them back to the table, sliding one over to Miley.

"I can't just say I wanna move in with Nick and do it. I have to think about the consequences first, Selena-"

"The consequences?" Selena interrupted. "Are you kidding me? Are you trying to ruin your relationship with Nick forever?"

"I'm not TRYING to." Miley sighed and waved it away. "Just forget it. No ones gonna understand."

"Try me." Selena zeroed her gaze on Miley.

"Uhm I... I hurt, Selena." Miley lifted her face up from the floor to look over at her. "Nick doesn't hurt me anymore but every time we try to move forward in this relationship, I have anxiety attacks thinking about how much it hurt last time and the time before that."

"You think I don't understand that?" Selena came and stood beside Miley, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Two of my exes were in love with someone else while we were dating and thinking about the fact that David could ever not love me hurts just thinking about. Miley, it hurts to keep going knowing what could happen but why ruin a great thing over something that could never happen?"


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Five**

"Oh my god," Demi rolled off the bed the next morning straight up onto her feet as she looked down at Joe with her palm against her forehead. "What am I doing?"

Joe squinted his eyes open at the noise and looked up at her. "Demi, come back to bed. Don't freak out on me. You know I'm not a morning person."

"We slept together last night. Twice."

"We hardly slept. That's what I'm trying to do now. Help me out here." Joe sat up on his elbows, looking up at Demi with an arched eyebrow. "Get to the point."

Demi walked closer to the bed on the opposite side of where Joe was laying and snatched up her shirt from the floor. "I have to go."

Joe hurriedly stood up from the bed and walked around it to her side. "I don't want you to go though."

She pulled her shirt on and looked around for her shorts not glancing at Joe.

"Demi, come on." Joe said as she grabbed her shorts from underneath the bed and slipped them on. "Tell me the problem so I can fix it."

"You can't fix it, Joe." She looked up at him with her somber gaze. "I'm sorry." She said as she rushed out of the door picking up her shoes and phone on the way out.

* * *

><p>Demi knocked on Selena's door about an hour later and was greeted by Miley and Selena as it opened.<p>

"About time." Miley said grabbing her by the elbow and pulling her along to the kitchen. "What, you didn't pay your phone bill or something?"

"What?" Demi looked over at her confused as she slid onto one of the stools in the kitchen right beside Miley.

"I called you at least five times and you didn't answer."

"I don't know. I think Joe cut my phone off." She shrugged and looked over at Miley. "Is something up?"

"I'm fine now." Miley nodded over at Selena. "You've been replaced."

Demi glared over at Miley and then tilted the corners of her lips up into a small smile. "Like you could replace me."

"Demi," Selena stepped forward on the other side of Demi and looked down at her. "How'd it go with Joe last night? Did it end badly?"

"You could say that." Demi stood up and walked over to the refrigerator. "What do you have to eat?"

"What did Joe do this time? Did he take Blanda home with him?" Miley's expression twisted up in disgust as Selena walked around the counter to open up a cabinet. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted him."

"Joe didn't take Blanda home. I basically ruined his chances with her and I don't even know what I want."

"I've got those potato chips you like." Selena held up the bag she pulled from the cabinet and put them in the middle of the island for all of them to share.

"Oh thanks but I meant what I want from Joe." Demi sighed and sat back in her seat next to Miley, popping a potato chip into her mouth. "If only she could solve my problems like she solved yours, Miles."

"You don't have problems, Demi." Selena said as she joined them at the counter reaching her hand into the bag. "I saw the way Joe looked at you last night. This is a no brainer. He'll never look at a girl the same way again and a guy like that needs to be snatched up immediately."

"I did that though." Demi said, shrugging her shoulders. "And he snatched up Ashley Greene."

"That's because he didn't want to lose you as a friend but now he's willing to risk it to love you the way he wants to love you and you're wasting your time with us instead of being there telling him that you feel the same way."

Demi looked over at Miley to see if she agreed with what Selena was saying and she sent Demi a one sided shrug, muttering "makes sense" as she took a sip from her soda.

"Oh." Demi said then pulled her phone from her pocket as it rang. "It's Joe. I better get this." She slid off the stool and made her way to the living room, clicking accept on her phone and holding it up to her ear. "Hey Joe."

"Demi, please come back." He immediately said into the phone. "I wish I knew what was wrong so I can fix it. If it's about Blanda, I'm swear I just want you. I miss you already and you've only been gone like twenty minutes."

That last comment made a smile spread across Demi's face.

"Just tell me what's wrong and I'll fix it."

Demi sighed and sat down on the couch as she spoke into the phone. "It was the women, Joe but I realize now that it doesn't matter. I'll be right over, okay? I miss you too."

She could hear Joe's smile through the phone as he said, "Hurry please."

* * *

><p>Selena watched from her front door as Miley got into her car and left after Demi did and she waved at her as David's car pulled in right where hers had been. Selena smiled and rushed outside to his car as he got out. "Hi baby." She flung her arms around his neck.<p>

"I like that I was missed." He pressed a kiss to her lips and looked down at her. "Busy day?"

"Not so much. Solving some best friend problems." She grinned wide loving David's arms around her waist. "I feel wise, like everyone should listen to me now."

"I've always known you were wise."

"I love you so much." She looked up at him as she unwrapped her arms from around his neck and guided him into the house. "Come on. Let's go be an old married couple who plays monopoly on our days off."

* * *

><p>"Hey you." Nick said to Miley as she met him on the front porch of the house he wanted to buy for them. "I'm so glad you decided to come."<p>

"Me too." She slid one arm around his waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm ready. Show me the house."

He guided her in with a smile, pushing the door open and leading her into the living room first. "It comes already furnished but if you want new things, we can move this stuff out, just throw it all away or give it to charity." He pulled her over to the stairs, passing the living room. "That's the most uninteresting part of the house. Wait until you see the bedrooms."

Miley chuckled and followed him up the stairs, holding onto his hand as they turned into the first room which was a bedroom. Miley actually really loved the interior as soon as she saw it so much that her mouth dropped open a bit. The carpeting, the walls, the bed, the tiny fireplace in the wall, the window with the flowing curtain in the breeze, the balcony outside the window, the view. Every single thing about the house was perfect and he was perfect. Nick came up behind her as she stepped out on the balcony, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Nick, I love it."

"Do you really?"

"I really do. I want to live here with you so much." That statement made Nick twirl her around so fast Miley got dizzy as he planted kisses all over her face.

"There's no buts, right?" Nick suddenly stopped looking down at her.

"No but..."

Nick sighed and stepped back.

Miley smiled up at him and stepped closer to him wrapping her arms around his waist. "Don't worry. I will still move in here with you. It's just, I realized something."

"What's that, Mi?"

"I have been trying so hard not to trust you because of something that happened in the past but that's not really us anymore."

"Yeah, all of our hair is gone." Nick joked, emitting a smile from Miley as she poked him in the sides.

"I'm giving you my trust, Nick. Not just halfway either, all of it. I want you to know that."

Nick just nodded, letting her finish what she had to say.

"I've been the only one holding us back in this relationship recently and I'm sorry about that."

"You don't need to apologize, Miley, because it takes two people to ruin a relationship. I should have never gave you a reason not to trust me."

"As I said, though, that's all in the past."

"Well, let's just start over, okay." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. "With nothing between us."

"I love you, ok."

"I love you too, ok." Nick nuzzled his nose with hers. "Like more than anything." He grinned and pulled her inside, grasping her hands. "Let's go test out the new shower." He said as Miley giggled.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I think maybe there will be an epilogue so stay tuned. I don't ever have much to say here except thank you and I love you to anyone who read my story and to everyone who commented. My mom passed away in April and I've just been having a difficult time writing as much as I used to. But I will work on that epilogue. Comment please. <strong>


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